Value for money
Nutritionists say that fish makes you feel full for longer than other protein foods - so you won't need to snack before your next meal. This makes fish a great protein choice for calorie counters and budget-wise shoppers with hungry families to feed.
New Zealand seafood is great value for money. Just look at what you get when you buy seafood — no fat to cut away, no wasteful gristle, just protein-packed flesh that’s full of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and health-promoting omega-3s. To make sure that you get the most for your seafood dollar:
Buy seafood in season
Seafood prices vary at the shops according to the season. Fish like bluenose, butterfish, groper, leather jacket, mackerel, warehou, and mussels are available in roughly the same quantities all year. While fish like whitebait, tarakihi, snapper, orange roughy, kahawai, hoki, or groper have distinct seasons, they are often available out of season as frozen, chilled or processed fillets throughout the year.
Visit Shopping for seafood to find the seasonal availability chart »
Buy seafood that's rich in Omega-3s
Recent research at the University of Auckland shows that for just 25 cents a week you can buy enough mackerel to get your recommended daily dose of Omega-3. Fresh or smoked New Zealand salmon can cost as little as $1 per week to provide the recommended daily dose of Omega-3. In general, if a seafood species has a high oil content, it will provide a high level of Omega-3.
Typical New Zealand seafood cost at the supermarket
| Seafood type | Cost | Oiliness | Key | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mackerel: tinned | $ | *** | $ <$10/kg | |
| kahawai | $ | ** | $$ $10-20/kg | |
| pilchard | $ | ** | $$$ $20-35/kg | |
| cream fish / leatherjacket | $ | * | $$$$ >$35/kg | |
| grey mullet | $ | * | *** >9% total oil content | |
| mussel | $ | * | ** 4-9% total oil content | |
| pipi / cockle | $ | * | * <4% total oil content | |
| red cod | $ | * | ||
| skate | $ | * | ||
| squid | $ | * | ||
| surimi | $ | * | ||
| tuna:tinned | $ | * | ||
| salmon (including tinned) | $/$$/$$$ | *** | ||
| warehou | $$ | *** | ||
| alfonsino | $$ | ** | ||
| tarakihi | $$ | * | ||
| bluenose | $$ | * | ||
| cardinal | $$ | * | ||
| flounder | $$ | * | ||
| gurnard | $$ | * | ||
| hoki | $$ | * | ||
| lemon fish | $$ | * | ||
| ling | $$ | * | ||
| rig/lemon fish | $$ | * | ||
| sole | $$ | * | ||
| trevally | $$ | * | ||
| eel:conger/freshwater | $$/$$$ | *** | ||
| tuna:fresh | $$/$$$ | *** | ||
| crab | $$/$$$ | * | ||
| dories | $$/$$$ | * | ||
| scampi | $$/$$$ | * | ||
| turbot | $$/$$$ | * | ||
| butterfish | $$/$$$ | * | ||
| groper/hapuku | $$/$$$ | * | ||
| snapper | $$/$$$ | * | ||
| kingfish | $$$ | * | ||
| orange roughy | $$$ | * | ||
| shrimp/prawns | $$$ | * | ||
| swordfish | $$$ | * | ||
| blue cod | $$$ | * | ||
| kina roe | $$$ | * | ||
| oyster | $$$/$$$$ | * | ||
| scallop | $$$/$$$$ | * | ||
| crayfish | $$$$ | * | ||
| paua/abalone | $$$$ | * | ||
| whitebait | $$$$ | * |