Pollock vs. Haddock — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Introduction

Pollock and haddock have many similarities, both being white fish with a mild taste and a low fat content and belonging to the Gadidae or 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, namely Atlantic and Alaska, while there is one popular commercial variety for haddock. Atlantic pollock is darker and has a stronger taste, while Alaska pollock is flakier.

When looking at fresh fish fillets, haddock is usually white, while pollock is slightly 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 of Alaska pollock and haddock, both cooked using dry heat. 

One average serving size per person of pollock and haddock, like all fish, is considered 3 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.

Macronutrients and Calories

Overall, pollock is slightly denser in nutrients, consisting of 74% water and 23% protein, whereas haddock is made up of 70% water and 20% protein.

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison

Pollock

3

Protein: 23.48 g

Fats: 1.18 g

Carbs: 0 g

Water: 73.65 g

Other: 1.69 g

Haddock

1

Protein: 19.99 g

Fats: 0.55 g

Carbs: 0 g

Water: 79.65 g

Other: 0 g

Contains more ProteinProtein	+17.5%
Contains more FatsFats	+114.5%
Contains more OtherOther	+-989.5%

~equal in Carbs ~0g

~equal in Water ~79.65g

Calories

Both of these fishes are considered medium-to-low-calorie foods; however, pollock is somewhat higher in calories compared to haddock. A hundred-gram serving of pollock and haddock provide 111 and 90 calories, respectively.

Protein

Pollock contains about 3.5g more protein per every 100g serving. That being said, both of these foods are excellent sources of protein, with a 100g serving providing about 50% of the protein needed daily.

Additionally, the protein found in pollock and haddock is of high quality, containing some level of all essential amino acids, particularly lysine, histidine, threonine, and tryptophan. Pollock is somewhat richer in all essential amino acids.

Fats

Pollock is also 2 times higher in fats; however, this does not mean much, as both pollock and haddock are lean meats with low-fat content.

A hundred-gram serving of pollock and haddock provide 1.18g and 0.55g of fats, respectively. Most of these fats are polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Pollock

2

Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.159 g

Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.134 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.583 g

Haddock

1

Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.111 g

Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.074 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.204 g

Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat	+81.1%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+185.8%

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat

-30.2%

Carbohydrates

Pollock and haddock, like most types of meat, do not contain carbohydrates.

Vitamins

The vitamin and mineral sections are where we get to the real nutritional differences between these fish.

Both pollock and haddock are excellent sources of vitamin B12; however, pollock is nearly 2 times higher, providing more than the required daily value per 100g serving.

Pollock is also 2 times richer in vitamin D and vitamin B1 and 3 times richer in vitamin B2.

At the same time, haddock provides over 4 times more folate or vitamin B9 and 2 times more vitamin E. Haddock is also somewhat higher in vitamin A and vitamin B5.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Pollock

5

100 g 300 g 1 fillet - 60g3 oz - 85g

Haddock

4

100 g 300 g 3 oz - 85g1 fillet - 150g

Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D	+116.7%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+134.8%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+223.2%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12	+71.8%
Contains more CholineCholine	+15.1%

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+23.5%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+96.4%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+14.4%
Contains more FolateFolate	+333.3%

~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin B3 ~4.119mg

~equal in Vitamin B6 ~0.327mg

~equal in Vitamin K ~0.1µg

Minerals 

Pollock easily wins in this category, being richer in nearly all minerals. Pollock provides 5 times more calcium, nearly 3 times more magnesium and iron, and 2 times more copper, as well as being higher in zinc, manganese, selenium, and potassium.

Haddock is somewhat lower in sodium; however, the sodium content will naturally depend on the cooking method and the amount of salt added.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Pollock

8

100 g 300 g 1 fillet - 60g3 oz - 85g

Haddock

1

100 g 300 g 3 oz - 85g1 fillet - 150g

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+211.5%
Contains more CalciumCalcium	+414.3%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+22.5%
Contains more IronIron	+166.7%
Contains more CopperCopper	+130.8%
Contains more ZincZinc	+42.5%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+38.5%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+39.1%

Contains less SodiumSodium

-37.7%

~equal in Phosphorus ~278mg

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

A high-quality systematic review found that non-fried fish consumption is probably associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack, while a high intake of fried fish is conversely associated with an increased risk (2). Therefore, the health focus should not be on whether to eat pollock or haddock but on how to cook the chosen fish. 

Another systematic review concluded that eating two portions of fish a week may reduce fatal and non-fatal outcomes of cardiovascular disease by about 10% (3). However, the recommended fish intake is mostly based on healthy cooking methods for fatty 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 institution did 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 fish varieties and can even be eaten in amounts of 2 serving sizes a week during pregnancy and breastfeeding (6).

Author name: Victoria Mazmanyan

Education: General Medicine at YSMU

Last updated: March 24, 2025