Bluefish Nutrition Calculator — Calories & Nutrition per Serving

Grilled bluefish provides 6.22mcg vitamin B12 per 100g — 259% of the daily value ^[1]. This is not a typo. A single 6-oz fillet (170g) delivers 10.6mcg B12 — 440% DV — enough to cover more than four full days of the recommended intake from one piece of fish.

For context: salmon provides 3.2mcg B12 per 100g (133% DV), tuna 2.6mcg (108% DV), and mackerel 8.7mcg (363% DV). Bluefish sits between tuna and mackerel — making it one of the top 5 B12 sources among commercially available fish. Only organ meats (beef liver: 70mcg) dramatically exceed it ^[1].

Research on the nutritional and pharmacological perspectives of blue fish consumption has documented that the high B12 content in oily fish species like bluefish is associated with their predatory feeding behavior and position in the marine food chain ^[2].

Bluefish occupies a distinctive nutritional niche: too fatty to be called a 'white fish' (5.4g fat vs. cod's 0.86g) but much leaner than salmon (13.4g fat) or mackerel (17.8g fat). At 159 kcal per 100g cooked, it sits precisely between haddock (90 kcal) and salmon (208 kcal) ^[1].

The fat in bluefish is primarily unsaturated: approximately 1g of omega-3 fatty acids per 100g cooked — comparable to canned tuna and roughly half the omega-3 content of salmon. This makes bluefish a practical option for increasing omega-3 intake without the calorie density of the fattiest fish ^[1].

A 6-oz grilled fillet (170g) logs at 270 kcal with 43.7g protein and 9.2g fat — a macro profile similar to a chicken leg quarter but with substantially more B12, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids ^[1].

Beyond the headline B12, bluefish delivers 46.8mcg selenium per 100g (85% DV) and 7.25mg niacin (45% DV) ^[1]. A single 6-oz fillet provides 79.6mcg selenium (145% DV) and 12.3mg niacin (77% DV) — each from a single piece of fish.

The niacin content (7.25mg) is remarkably high for fish — most fish have 1-4mg per 100g. For comparison: chicken breast has 13.7mg, but bluefish provides its 7.25mg alongside 46.8mcg selenium and 6.22mcg B12, creating a micronutrient density that chicken cannot match ^[1].

Bluefish is also notably high in vitamin A (138mcg RAE, 15% DV) and potassium (477mg, 10% DV) per 100g — putting it among the most micronutrient-complete fish when considering the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals together ^[1].

Smoked bluefish — a Northeast US summer staple — concentrates the fish's nutrients through moisture loss: 178 kcal, 28.5g protein, and 6.5g fat per 100g compared to 159 kcal, 25.7g protein, and 5.4g fat for fresh grilled ^[1].

The critical tracking difference is sodium: smoking adds brine curing that raises sodium from 77mg (grilled) to approximately 650mg (smoked) per 100g — an 8.4x increase. When mixed into a pate with cream cheese, a typical 60g appetizer portion delivers approximately 107 kcal and 390mg sodium from the fish alone ^[1].

Selenium concentrates even further during smoking — to approximately 52mcg per 100g (95% DV). Smoked bluefish pate (60g fish + 28g cream cheese) provides a 90g appetizer at approximately 204 kcal with 33.4mcg selenium (61% DV) — a nutrient-dense starter if sodium is not a limiting factor ^[1].

Among the three most common oily fish in US markets, bluefish offers a distinct value proposition. Bluefish: 159 kcal, 1g omega-3, 6.2mcg B12 per 100g. Mackerel (Atlantic): 262 kcal, 1.4g omega-3, 8.7mcg B12. Salmon (Atlantic, farmed): 208 kcal, 2.1g omega-3, 3.2mcg B12 ^[1].

Bluefish has the lowest calories per 100g of the three, the second-highest B12, and moderate omega-3. Where bluefish typically wins is on price: it's often $4-7/lb at East Coast fish markets, compared to $10-15/lb for salmon. Per dollar, bluefish often delivers more protein and B12 than either alternative ^[1].

The tradeoff is flavor: bluefish has a bold, assertive taste that divides opinion. It's best consumed very fresh (within 24 hours of catch) as the high fat content causes rapid flavor deterioration. Grilling or smoking complements the strong flavor better than mild preparations like steaming ^[3].