Pollock vs. Haddock — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (2025)

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Introduction

Pollock andhaddock have many similarities, both being white fish with amild taste and a low fat content and belonging to theGadidaeor cod family. However, there are things that set these two apart, which will be discussed in this article.

There are two main commercial varieties of pollock, namelyAtlanticandAlaska, while there is one popular commercial variety for haddock. Atlantic pollock isdarkerand hasa stronger taste, while Alaska pollock is flakier.

When looking at fresh fish fillets, haddock is usually white, while pollock isslightly darker, mostly due to a higher content of the iron-containing protein myoglobin.

Nutrition

In this section, we are comparing the nutritional values of 100g serving sizes ofAlaska pollockandhaddock, both cooked using dry heat.

One average serving size per person of pollock and haddock, like all fish, is considered3 ounces or 85g.If interested, you can choose your preferred serving size in different sections.

You can also choose the type of fish and your preferred cooking method for a more specific nutritional comparison.

Health Impact

Pollock and haddock are both white lean fish, generally impacting our health in similar ways. In this section, we will look into what research says about these fish.

Cardiovascular Health

Ahigh-quality systematic review found thatnon-fried fish consumption is probably associated witha decreased risk ofcardiovascular disease and heart attack, whilea high intake of fried fish is conversely associated withan increased risk(2). Therefore, the health focus should not be on whether to eat pollock or haddock but on how to cookthe chosen fish.

Another systematic review concluded that eatingtwo portions of fisha week mayreducefatal and non-fatal outcomes of cardiovascular disease by about 10% (3). However, the recommended fish intake is mostly based on healthy cooking methods forfatty fish, such as salmon or mackerel, which are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Diabetes

A cohort study by the American Diabetes Association found that both fatty and white fish consumption can be beneficial for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes (4). Conversely, the findings of a prospective follow-up study by the same institutiondid not support the beneficial effect of fish consumption on the risk of type 2 diabetes, possibly due to the selenium and contaminants found in fish (5).

Thus, the impact of haddock and pollock on the development of type 2 diabetes is not conclusive.

Mercury Content

The FDA states that both pollock and haddock are low-mercury fishvarieties and can even be eaten in amounts of 2 serving sizes a week during pregnancy and breastfeeding(6).