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What fish can be with pancreatitis: varieties, recipes for cooking dishes
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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A source of easily digestible and high-quality animal protein is fish. This product is allowed for pancreatitis. Let's consider the rules and features of its use.
Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. The inflammatory-degenerative process can occur in acute or chronic form, with periods of remission and exacerbation. Most often, lovers of fatty foods and alcohol, people prone to regular overeating suffer from the disease.
The symptoms of the disease and the methods of its treatment depend on the severity of the pathological process. In most cases, the inflammation manifests itself as severe pain in the upper abdomen, which occurs after eating fatty foods. The painful sensations are encircling and can radiate to the left half of the body. Attacks of severe vomiting are possible, after which there is no relief. General weakness, stool disorders, flatulence and dizziness are also observed.
The basis of treatment is dietary nutrition in combination with drug therapy. Patients are prescribed diet No. 5. The diet should consist of low-fat foods that do not burden the gastrointestinal tract. Low-fat fish varieties are allowed for pancreatitis. The product contains micro and macro elements necessary for the body, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E. Sea and river products enrich the diet with protein and allow you to diversify the strict therapeutic menu.
Is it possible to eat fish if you have pancreatitis?
Many patients who have faced inflammation of the pancreas ask themselves whether fish can be eaten with pancreatitis. The answer is clear - the product must be present in the diet. It is necessary to enrich the diet with protein and other useful substances.
But not all fish is allowed for consumption. When choosing it, you need to pay attention to the fat content. The healthy fat that it contains has a negative effect on the cells of the pancreas, causing increased stress on the organ. Lipase (an enzyme synthesized in the pancreas) is necessary for breaking down fat, but during illness it is produced in insufficient quantities due to enzymatic deficiency.
Only certain types of both sea and river fish can be included in the diet, the fat content of which is within 8%. Eating a fattier product causes the following symptoms: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting attacks, loose stools with an oily sheen due to fats that are not fully absorbed. As a result of such a diet, a new attack of pancreatitis appears.
But lean varieties of the product also contain fat. Because of this, fish is contraindicated for pancreatitis patients with the following problems:
- Individual intolerance to fish oil.
- Low blood clotting rate.
- Chronic renal failure.
- Hemophilia.
- Thyroid imbalance.
- Acute form of cholecystitis.
In addition to the above contraindications, the product should be used with special caution by those with high blood pressure, patients with recent surgeries, the elderly and children, during pregnancy and lactation.
Fish for acute pancreatitis
Expressed painful sensations in combination with symptoms of intoxication and deterioration of general health, as a rule, indicate an acute course of inflammation of the pancreas. During this period, a strict diet is indicated, which consists of light and low-fat products.
Fish in acute pancreatitis is allowed a week after the onset of a pronounced pathological process. The menu can include baked, boiled or stewed dishes from lean varieties of the product. In this case, in the first days, it is better to eat only fillets, carefully cleaning it from skin and bones.
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What kind of fish can you eat if you have pancreatitis?
Inflammatory and degenerative processes in the pancreas cause a number of painful symptoms, for the elimination of which not only medical therapy is indicated, but also therapeutic and restorative nutrition. One of the healthy and dietary products is fish. Let's consider in more detail what fish can be eaten with pancreatitis and the features of its use:
- Any variety is allowed as long as its fat content does not exceed 8%.
- The product is a source of high-quality, easily digestible animal protein and essential acids.
- Sea varieties are especially useful, as they are rich in macro and microelements, especially iron, phosphorus and iodine.
- Sea fish contains fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E.
The leading indicator in choosing a product should be the fat content. Excess fat causes dyspeptic disorders, which lead to an exacerbation of the disease. At the same time, it is strictly forbidden to eat smoked, salted, fried and dried fish. Contraindications also apply to canned fish
Types of fish for pancreatitis
Fish is one of those products that are valued for its unique balance of vitamins and microelements necessary for the normal functioning of the body and metabolism. It contains from 15 to 26% protein and from 0.2 to 34% fat. The product has several types, let's consider them:
- Low-fat (lean) – fat content up to 4%, caloric content from 70 to 100 kcal per 100 g.
- Sea fish: flounder, cod, silver hake, sea bass, pollock, pollock, roach, navaga.
- River: pike, river perch, tench, pike-perch, ruff, bream.
The lowest fat content (no more than 1%) is found in river perch, cod, lemon mackerel, navaga, and pollock. This variety is quick to prepare, easily digested and absorbed by the body.
- Moderately fatty varieties – from 4 to 8% fat, caloric content from 90 to 140 kcal per 100 g.
- Marine: horse mackerel, wolffish, tuna, pink salmon, herring, Baltic herring, sea bass, chum salmon, sea bream, anchovies, butterfish, spring capelin, smelt.
- River: trout, carp, catfish, crucian carp, wild carp, salmon, red-eye, river bream, wild carp.
These varieties are an ideal source of high-quality protein. In case of pancreatitis, they can be consumed 1-2 times a week, steamed, stewed or baked.
- Fatty varieties – more than 8% fat, caloric content from 200 to 250 kcal per 100 g.
These varieties include: halibut, saury, mackerel, eel, omul, fatty herring, Caspian sprat, stellate sturgeon, chinook salmon, beluga, nelma, ivasi, sabrefish, burbot, whitefish, silver carp, notothenia, and sturgeon species.
When choosing fish varieties for pancreatitis, it is worth giving preference to low-fat ones. Sea species are especially useful, which contain a lot of iodine and omega-3 fatty acids. Such a product has a beneficial effect on the thyroid gland, reduces cholesterol levels in the blood, improves metabolic processes in the body, regulates blood pressure and stimulates the brain.
Red fish for pancreatitis
Delicacy red fish for pancreatitis is allowed for consumption only in case of stable remission of the disease. This type of product is distinguished by its taste qualities, high content of useful substances and high fat content.
Of all the types of red fish, only trout and pink salmon are allowed for pancreatitis. The fat content in these varieties is within the normal range. It is contraindicated to salt, dry or smoke this delicacy. It is better to use baking, boiling or stewing for cooking. In this case, the portion size should not exceed 200 g.
Excessive consumption of red fish can provoke a worsening of the disease, as the load on the pancreas, which is responsible for breaking down fats, increases sharply. When consuming such fish, other types of fat should be limited, for example, butter, sour cream or cream.
Low-fat fish for pancreatitis
When the pancreas is inflamed, lean fish should be present in the diet. With pancreatitis, it allows you to diversify the diet and enrich the body with useful substances. The product contains phosphorus, iodine, calcium, B vitamins and other components.
The main advantage of low-fat varieties is that they contain 15% protein, which is much easier to digest than animal protein and saturates the body with amino acids.
Low-fat fish for pancreatitis is divided into:
- Lean (dietary) - can be included in the diet by the end of the first week after the end of acute painful symptoms.
- Moderately fatty – used after normalization of the condition and achievement of stable laboratory parameters.
Low-fat varieties include:
- Up to 1% fat – cod, pollock, saithe, navaga, sea bass.
- Up to 2% fat – pike, pike perch, flounder, crucian carp, mullet, roach, lamprey, silver hake.
- Up to 4% fat – trout, halibut, herring, mackerel, carp, bream.
The diet can include shellfish and products from the crayfish family. When preparing, it is worth giving preference to baking, stewing and boiling products with a minimum of spices, salt and oil.
Recipes for cooking fish for pancreatitis
The main criteria for choosing products for inflammation of the pancreas are their quality, dietary composition and freshness. The ideal fish for pancreatitis is fresh, not frozen, without plaque or mucus with a low percentage of fat. There are many recipes for its preparation with maximum preservation of useful properties.
If the disease is acute, then dishes are prepared from the fillet, which must be thoroughly chopped. In the remission phase, the product can be consumed whole, after cleaning and washing it. Dishes can be boiled, baked, stewed or steamed. Fried fish is contraindicated.
Let's look at the most delicious fish recipes for pancreatitis, which you can easily prepare yourself:
- Steamed meatballs.
- Any lean fish 150 g.
- Round rice 15-20g.
- Water 100 ml.
- Butter 5 g.
Rinse the rice under running water, pour in 100 ml of liquid and cook a viscous rice porridge. Grind the fillet thoroughly using a meat grinder or blender, after removing the skin and bones. Mix the rice and the resulting mince, add melted butter. Mix all the ingredients, form meatballs and steam in a steamer, multicooker or water bath.
- Fish boiled in sauce.
- Any lean fish 200 g.
- Parsley 10 g.
For the sauce:
- Fish broth 100-150 ml.
- Flour 10 g
- Egg 1 pc.
Clean and cut the fish, rinse thoroughly and boil in lightly salted water with chopped parsley. Dry the flour in a dry frying pan and add the prepared broth to it. Boil for 5-7 minutes. Chop the pre-boiled egg and add it to the broth in the frying pan. Cook the sauce until it thickens slightly. Pour it over the fish when serving.
- Baked cod.
- Cod 250 g
- Milk ½ cup
- Carrots 10 g
- Flour 10 g.
- Vegetable oil 10 g.
Dry the flour in a dry frying pan, pour in preheated milk and vegetable oil. Rinse the fish, cut into portions. Peel and chop the carrots. Lightly salt the fish and carrots and place them in a saucepan, adding a little water. The products should boil for 10-15 minutes. Prepare a baking tray or other container for baking, grease with vegetable oil. Place the products and pour sauce over them. Bake in the oven until done.
Fish dishes for pancreatitis
Both sea and river fish are highly nutritious and easily digestible, and contain a complex of useful microelements and vitamins. And this is one of the criteria for dietary nutrition.
Fish dishes for pancreatitis are a source of the following useful substances:
- Polyunsaturated omega fatty acids (participate in the regulation of metabolic processes, reduce cholesterol levels in the blood).
- Essential amino acids.
- Easily digestible protein compounds.
- Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E.
- Macro and microelements: iodine, phosphorus, selenium, iron and others.
For a dietary ration, preference should be given to low-fat varieties, both sea and river products. All fish have different taste values. For example, pike perch and cod can be used in the preparation of any dishes. The slightly tough meat of pike with a specific smell requires special processing. Particular attention should be paid to bony varieties, for example, crucian carp and bream.
Let's look at several recipes for delicious fish dishes that are allowed for inflammation of the pancreas:
- Baked cod with herbs.
- Cod fillet 300 g.
- Onion 1 pc.
- Parsley 10 g.
- Lemon juice 5 g.
- Spices to taste: salt, black and white ground pepper.
Wash the cod fillet and cut into 4 pieces. Cut the onion into rings. Take 4 pieces of baking foil, put the onion on each of them, and the fish on top. Salt and pepper each portion, add parsley and lemon juice. Fold the foil around the edges to make small envelopes. Place the cod bundles on a baking tray and put them in a preheated oven. Bake the fish until done, open the foil slightly when serving.
- Pike perch in tomato sauce.
- Pike perch fillet 500-800 g.
- Carrots 3 pcs.
- Tomatoes in their own juice 200 g.
- Olive oil 50 g.
- Spices to taste.
Peel the carrots and grate them on a coarse grater, cut the onion into half rings. Put the vegetables in a frying pan and fry on low heat. Chop the tomatoes. Cut the fillet into small pieces, put on a vegetable bed, add spices and pour in tomato sauce. Simmer until done. Boiled rice is an excellent side dish for this dish.
- Fish cutlets.
- Lean fish 500 g.
- Stale white bread 1-2 slices.
- Milk 50 ml.
- Egg 1 pc.
- Spices to taste.
Wash and clean the fish thoroughly. If you have chosen a river variety, soak it in milk for 30-40 minutes. This will eliminate the smell of mud or silt. Soak the bread in milk and grind it together with the fish using a meat grinder. Add the egg and spices to the mince. Mix everything thoroughly, form cutlets. The dish can be steamed or baked in the oven.
Baked fish for pancreatitis
The most gentle method of cooking any food is baking. Baked fish with pancreatitis retains all its beneficial properties and acquires a unique taste. This method of cooking is the most optimal during a diet.
Let's look at tasty and healthy baked fish recipes that are approved for gastrointestinal diseases:
- Fish with mushrooms.
- Lean fish 700-800 g.
- Champignons 5-6 pcs.
- Low-fat sour cream 200 ml.
- Olive oil 50-70 g.
- Parsley.
- Spices to taste.
Cut the fish into portions and place it in a greased frying pan, add salt. Fry the mushrooms separately, pepper and place them in the frying pan with the fish. Mix sour cream with chopped parsley and pour it over the fish. Put the frying pan with the dish in the oven and cook until golden brown.
- Fish with zucchini.
- Lean fish 500 g.
- Zucchini 2 pcs.
- Butter 20 g.
- Hard cheese 50 g.
- Sour cream 300 g.
- Spices to taste.
Wash and cut the fish into portions, add salt and pepper. Cut the zucchini into thin slices. Grate the hard cheese and mix with sour cream. Grease a baking tray or any other dish with butter. Put a layer of zucchini, salt and pepper. Put the fish on top and cover with another layer of zucchini. Pour the sour cream and cheese sauce over everything. Bake on medium heat for 30-40 minutes.
- Baked mackerel with tomatoes.
- Mackerel fillet 500 g.
- Tomatoes 6 pcs.
- Vegetable oil 50 g.
- Parsley.
- Spices to taste.
Place tomato pieces in a greased dish or on a baking sheet and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. Place the fish on top of the vegetables and another layer of tomatoes. Salt, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with herbs. Bake the dish until done, usually 20-30 minutes at medium temperature.
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Salted fish for pancreatitis
Salted fish is one of the products that activate the pancreas. It is contraindicated in pancreatitis, as it makes the inflamed organ produce enzymes in an enhanced mode. That is, during the illness, salted fish should be completely excluded from the diet, regardless of its fat content.
Contraindication is related to the fact that salt has an inflammatory effect on the pancreas. It can be present in small quantities only during remission of the disease. For pickling, this spice is used in large quantities, which is detrimental to the affected organ. If you continue to use it with pancreatitis, this can lead to severe edema with necrosis and suppuration of the pancreas and its parts.
Fish soufflé for pancreatitis
A great way to diversify your diet is to make a fish soufflé. This dish is allowed for pancreatitis. Let's look at popular fish soufflé recipes:
- Pike perch soufflé.
- Fresh pike perch 350 g.
- Egg white 2 pcs.
- Low-fat sour cream 150 ml.
- Spices to taste.
Cut and wash the fish. Cut off the fillet and remove all bones, chop with a blender or meat grinder. Add sour cream to the mince and beat well with a mixer or blender. Separately beat the egg white into a stiff foam, add a little salt. Carefully combine the white with the fish mixture, stir until a homogeneous creamy mass is obtained.
Take some cling film, put the soufflé on it and roll it into a sausage shape, tying the edges. Wrap the film in foil and put it on a baking sheet in the oven, placing a container of water underneath to create steam. After 20-30 minutes, take the dish out and let it cool down a little. Unfold the foil and film, cut the soufflé into portions. The dish can be eaten both cold and warm.
- Soufflé of red fish and broccoli.
- Salmon or trout 250-300 g.
- Broccoli 150 g.
- Egg 2 pcs.
- Sour cream or low-fat cream 100 ml.
- Parsley or dill greens.
- Spices to taste.
Boil broccoli for a couple of minutes in lightly salted water. Chop the fish and vegetables. Beat the eggs with cream, add the selected spices and herbs. Mix all the ingredients carefully. Pour the mixture into a greased form and bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
Boiled fish for pancreatitis
The easiest way to cook fish is to boil it. Boiled fish is allowed for pancreatitis from the first days of the disease. It turns out not only healthy, but also tasty if you steam it or cook it in a small amount of water. Another way to improve the taste is to add spices or herbs to the broth.
Delicious recipes for boiled fish:
- Fish in cucumber brine.
- Any lean fish 600 g.
- Lightly salted cucumber brine 250 ml.
- Carrot 1 pc.
- Onion 1 pc.
- Bay leaf 3-4 pcs.
- Spices to taste.
Place the onion and carrot cut into half rings, bay leaf and other spices in boiling water (1 liter is enough). Boil over low heat for 20 minutes and add cucumber brine. Bring to a boil and place the fish skin side up. Cook for 15-20 minutes until done. The finished dish can be eaten with boiled rice or potatoes.
- Boiled fish with green onions.
- Fish 500-700 g.
- Green onions 20-30 g.
- Ginger root 5 g.
- Soy sauce 10 g.
- Vegetable oil 10 g.
Cut some of the onion into small strips and the ginger into thin slices. Place the fish on a steamer rack and add the greens on top. Chop the remaining onion and ginger, fry a little in vegetable oil and add soy sauce. Pour the sauce over the finished boiled product.
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Stewed fish for pancreatitis
In addition to baking or boiling, there is another gentle way to cook food - stewing. Dishes prepared in this way are not only dietary, but also with preserved nutrients. Stewed fish is considered especially tasty. With pancreatitis, it can be consumed after the disease has entered the remission stage.
Dietary recipes for stewing:
- Fragrant pike.
- Pike fillet 1 kg.
- Onion 1 pc.
- Egg 1 pc.
- Vegetable broth 150 ml.
- Vegetable oil 50 ml.
- Lemon juice 50 ml.
- Spices to taste.
Beat the egg into a foam and coat the fish cut into portions with it. Finely chop the carrots and onions, put them in a frying pan with vegetable oil. After 3-5 minutes, put the fish on top of the vegetables, pour in the vegetable broth and add lemon juice. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Put the finished pike on a dish, strain the resulting sauce and pour it over the fillet.
- Fish stewed in milk.
- Lean fish 500 g.
- Onion 1 pc.
- Carrot 1 pc.
- Low-fat milk 400-500 ml.
- Spices to taste.
Cut the onion into half rings and the carrot into small slices. Place the vegetables in a deep bowl, put the fish on top, add spices and pour in milk. Simmer until done.
Dried fish for pancreatitis
Dried fish is rightfully considered one of the most popular delicacies in the world. In case of pancreatitis, it is on the list of prohibited products. This is due to the fact that for drying, the product is thoroughly soaked in a saline solution, which disinfects from parasites. Due to this, the finished delicacy turns out to be excessively hard and salty, which is contraindicated in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Dried fish can provoke an exacerbation of inflammation of the pancreas. It is prohibited for patients with hypotension, since the high salt content can lead to the outflow of fluid from the blood, which will significantly worsen the situation with arterial pressure.
Fish for pancreatitis, according to the advice of doctors, should be included in the diet at least 3 times a week. But when choosing it, you should give preference only to low-fat or moderately fatty varieties. The method of its preparation is also of great importance. With degenerative-inflammatory processes in the pancreas, you can eat boiled, baked or stewed dishes. By adhering to all medical recommendations regarding therapeutic nutrition, you can transfer the disease to the stage of stable remission
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