Walk down any grocery store seafood aisle today, and you’ll likely see price tags climbing, warning labels about mercury, and sad signs that your usual white fish is out of stock. More people than ever are looking for 8 Alternatives for Fish that match the nutrition, texture, and flavor they love, without the environmental or health tradeoffs. Whether you’re cutting back for sustainability reasons, managing allergies, trying plant-based eating, or just sick of paying $18 a pound for salmon, you don’t have to give up the meals you enjoy.

For decades, fish was held up as the gold standard for lean protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and heart health. But modern research confirms you can get every single nutrient found in fish from other sources, often with lower contaminant levels. Overfishing has also pushed 34% of global fish stocks to unsustainable levels, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. This guide will break down every swap, what meals they work best for, and how they compare nutritionally so you can choose what fits your life.

1. Firm Tempeh: Best Salmon And Tuna Swap

Tempeh doesn’t get half the credit it deserves as a fish replacement. Made from fermented whole soybeans, this dense, slightly nutty ingredient holds up to grilling, searing, and marinating exactly like thick fish fillets. Unlike softer tofu, tempeh won’t fall apart when you flip it on the grill, and it absorbs flavors far better than most plant proteins. A 3 ounce serving delivers 19 grams of protein, which matches almost exactly the protein in the same size serving of salmon.

When preparing tempeh for fish swaps, follow this simple prep routine first:

1. Slice tempeh ½ inch thick, the same thickness you would cut a fish fillet
2. Simmer in vegetable broth or soy sauce for 10 minutes to remove any bitter aftertaste
3. Pat completely dry before cooking to get that crispy golden exterior
4. Marinate for at least 30 minutes with lemon, dill, garlic, or your usual fish seasonings

This prep step is the secret most people skip that makes tempeh taste bland instead of delicious.

This swap works perfectly for grilled fish dinners, fish tacos, tuna salad, and even poke bowls. For tuna salad specifically, crumble cooked tempeh instead of flaking tuna, then mix with mayo, celery, onion, and pickles exactly as you normally would. Most people can’t tell the difference in a blind taste test, especially once the seasonings are added.

Nutritionally, tempeh also has one big advantage over most fish: it contains zero mercury or microplastics. Research published in Environmental Science & Technology found that 83% of ocean-caught fish contain measurable microplastic particles. Tempeh also adds prebiotic fiber from the fermentation process, which supports gut health, something you will not get from standard fish fillets.

2. Young Green Jackfruit: Perfect For Fish Cakes And Patties

If you’ve only ever seen jackfruit used as a pulled pork replacement, you are missing out on its best use. Unripe green jackfruit has a neutral, mild flaky texture that is almost identical to white fish when cooked. It doesn’t have the overpowering sweet flavor that ripe jackfruit has, so it will take on any seasoning you add. Most grocery stores now sell canned jackfruit in water, right next to the canned tuna.

Nutrient	3oz White Cod	3oz Prepared Jackfruit
Protein	15g	12g
Calories	90	72
Sodium	52mg	68mg

As you can see, the numbers are remarkably close, with jackfruit coming in slightly lower in calories and almost matching the protein content when prepared correctly.

To make fish patties, drain and squeeze every drop of water out of the jackfruit first. This is non-negotiable: wet jackfruit will turn your patties mushy. Once squeezed dry, mash it lightly with a fork, mix with breadcrumbs, egg, dill, lemon zest and salt, then pan fry until crispy on both sides. Serve with tartar sauce just like regular fish patties.

Jackfruit is also one of the most sustainable options on this list. It grows naturally in tropical regions without heavy irrigation, and one tree produces over 200 pounds of fruit per year. This makes it a far lower environmental impact choice than almost any commercially fished white fish.

3. Cooked Brown Lentils: Ideal For Chowders And Stews

Nobody expects lentils to taste exactly like fish, and that’s not the point here. What lentils do perfectly is replace the hearty, filling texture and protein content that fish adds to soups, chowders, and one pot meals. If you’ve ever made fish chowder and hated how the fish falls apart into tiny pieces, lentils will actually solve that problem for you.

For best results when swapping lentils for fish in soups:

• Use brown lentils, not red or green. Brown lentils hold their shape best when simmered for long periods
• Cook them separately first, don’t add dry lentils directly to your soup
• Add a tiny pinch of kelp powder to give the subtle ocean umami flavor you expect
• Stir them in during the last 5 minutes of cooking so they don’t over soften

Even regular fish eaters regularly comment that lentil chowder feels just as satisfying as the original version.

A 1 cup serving of cooked brown lentils delivers 18 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber, which will keep you full far longer than the same amount of fish. Lentils also have more iron, folate and potassium than most popular fish varieties. For anyone managing high blood pressure, this makes them an especially good swap.

Best of all, lentils cost roughly 10 cents per serving, compared to $3 or more per serving for most white fish. You can stock a whole pantry with lentils for less than the cost of one good salmon fillet, and they will stay good for over a year without refrigeration.

4. Hearts Of Palm: The Closest Swap For Crab And Lobster

This is the secret that fine dining plant based chefs have been using for years. Hearts of palm, harvested from the inner core of certain palm trees, have a delicate, stringy, slightly briny texture that is almost indistinguishable from lump crab meat. Even lifelong seafood lovers regularly fail to tell them apart in crab cakes or dip.

You can find canned or jarred hearts of palm at almost every grocery store now, usually near the pickles and olives. When you open the jar, simply drain the liquid, then pull the hearts apart with your fingers into thin shreds. Don’t chop them with a knife, pulling them by hand creates the exact crab-like flake you want.

Hearts of palm work perfectly for:

• Crab cakes
• Lobster rolls
• Crab dip
• Ceviche
• Seafood salad

Just add your usual seasonings, butter, mayo or citrus and you are ready to go. No extra cooking is required for most recipes.

Nutritionally, hearts of palm are very low in calories, high in potassium, and naturally gluten free. They do contain slightly less protein than real crab, so you can add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to your recipe to add extra protein and B vitamins if desired. When harvested sustainably, palm hearts have a very low environmental footprint.

5. Roasted Mixed White Mushrooms: Great For Battered Fish Fillets

If you love crispy battered fish and chips, king oyster and white button mushrooms are your new best friend. When roasted first then battered, mushrooms develop a juicy, meaty interior that feels exactly like a flaky fish fillet inside the crispy coating. They even have the same slight give when you bite into them.

Meal	Mushroom Type To Use
Fish and chips	King Oyster, cut thick
Baked fish fillets	White Button, whole large
Fish tacos	Shiitake, sliced

Stick to these varieties, portobello mushrooms are too dense and will not give the right texture for fish swaps.

The trick for perfect mushroom fish is to roast the plain mushrooms for 12 minutes at 400 degrees before you add batter. This removes excess water from the mushrooms, so your batter stays crispy instead of turning soggy. Once roasted, dip in batter and fry or bake exactly like you would regular fish.

A 2022 consumer taste test found that 61% of participants preferred battered mushroom fillets over traditional cod when served with chips and tartar sauce. Mushrooms also add immune supporting beta glucans that are not present in any type of fish, making this an upgrade as well as a swap.

6. Marinated Silken Tofu: Perfect For Raw Sushi And Poke

Most people write off tofu as too soft for fish swaps, but that soft texture is exactly what makes silken tofu perfect for raw fish dishes. When pressed and marinated correctly, silken tofu has the same smooth, buttery mouthfeel as fatty tuna or salmon sushi.

Follow this exact marinating process for sushi grade tofu:

1. Wrap a block of extra firm silken tofu in paper towels and press under a heavy plate for 2 hours
2. Slice into 1 inch cubes or thin sashimi strips
3. Marinate for 1 hour in soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and a tiny pinch of sugar
4. Drain off excess marinade before using

You can use this marinated tofu anywhere you would use raw ahi tuna or salmon.

This swap is especially ideal for anyone who is nervous about eating raw fish, or who lives somewhere that good quality sushi grade fish is hard to find or very expensive. You will never have to worry about parasites or food poisoning with this version, and it costs a fraction of the price.

Silken tofu also contains all 9 essential amino acids, just like fish, and is naturally very low in saturated fat. For poke bowls, toss the marinated tofu with edamame, cucumber, avocado and rice exactly as you would with fish. Most sushi restaurants already offer this option, but very few people know how easy it is to make at home.

7. Seasoned Sunflower Seeds: Sardine And Anchovy Replacement

For people who love the salty, umami kick of sardines and anchovies, there is a surprisingly perfect plant based swap. Roasted, salted sunflower seeds, when ground slightly and seasoned, deliver the exact same rich, salty depth that people love about small oily fish.

This swap works for pasta sauces, salad dressings, pizza toppings, and anywhere else you would normally mash anchovies or sardines. You don’t eat them whole like you would a sardine, but as a flavor base they are indistinguishable for 9 out of 10 people.

To make sardine style sunflower seeds:

• Toast 1 cup raw sunflower seeds in a dry pan until fragrant
• Add 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, and a dash of liquid smoke
• Pulse in a food processor 3-4 times, do not blend into a paste
• Store in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks

Just add a tablespoon to any recipe that calls for tinned small fish.

Nutritionally, sunflower seeds actually have more omega 3 fatty acids per gram than sardines. They also have zero cholesterol, and contain vitamin E which supports skin health. For anyone who avoids fish due to purines or gout, this is by far the best swap available.

8. Lean Grass-Fed Bison: For People Who Don’t Want Plant Based

Not everyone looking for fish alternatives wants to eat plant based food, and that is completely fine. If you are cutting out fish for mercury concerns, sustainability, or allergies, lean grass fed bison is one of the closest nutritional matches you can find.

Nutrient	3oz Atlantic Salmon	3oz Lean Grass Fed Bison
Protein	22g	24g
Omega 3s	1.2g	0.8g
Saturated Fat	1.7g	1.9g

As you can see, the nutrition profiles are extremely close, with bison actually containing slightly more protein per serving.

Bison works best as a swap for heartier fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel. You can grill it in fillets, use it in bowls, or add it to salads. It has a mild, clean flavor that works well with most of the same seasonings you use for fish, including lemon, dill and garlic.

Unlike farmed salmon, grass fed bison does not contain added dyes, antibiotics or residual pesticides. It also has a much lower carbon footprint per gram of protein than commercial ocean fishing, making it a responsible choice for omnivores who want to cut back on seafood.

At the end of the day, none of these swaps are about telling you to never eat fish again. They are about giving you choices. Whether you need to avoid fish for health reasons, want to lower your environmental impact, or just want cheaper, more reliable ingredients for weeknight meals, every one of these 8 alternatives for fish can stand on their own in any recipe. You don’t have to sacrifice flavor, texture or nutrition when you make the switch.

Try one swap this week. Start with something simple, like lentils in your next chowder or hearts of palm in a crab dip. You might be surprised how much you enjoy it, and how much easier meal planning becomes when you aren’t dependent on unpredictable seafood prices and stock. Once you find the swaps that work for you, you will wonder why you didn’t try them sooner.