Phase 2. Salmon is on my list, but in Phase 1 my fish were cod, hake, sole, tilapia and tuna, all white or lean and all Phase 1.
Salmon is the fish everyone tells you is healthy, and they’re right about the heart. The pancreas keeps its own books.
The fat math
100 g of farmed Atlantic salmon: about 13 g of fat. Wild sockeye: about 5 g. 100 g of cod: about 1 g.
So a normal salmon fillet is half of a strict day (20 to 30 g a day while I’m strict, 40 to 50 g once things have settled) and a quarter of a settled one. The cod fillet next to it is a rounding error.
Smoked salmon is leaner by weight, about 2 to 3 g per 50 g, mostly because 50 g is a realistic portion.
Which phase
Phase 2, portioned, with the rest of the day planned around it. Canned tuna in oil is also Phase 2 on my sheet, in small amounts; the same tuna in water is Phase 1.
Your line may be looser or tighter than mine. Try 100 g once, see how 2 days go, confirm with your team.
How I actually eat it
100 to 120 g, baked in foil with lemon juice and dill, on white rice with steamed carrots. That salmon is the day’s main fat and the other 2 meals stay close to 0.
Most weeks I still reach for cod. Salmon is the Friday fish.
Questions people ask me
Isn’t the omega-3 in salmon good for pancreatitis?
It’s good for the heart. The pancreas still has to process the fat it comes in: about 13 g per 100 g of farmed salmon. I eat it in Phase 2, in 100 g portions, and plan the day around it.
Which fish can I eat in Phase 1 of pancreatitis?
Cod, hake, sole, tilapia and fresh or water-packed tuna were all Phase 1 for me, each at about 1 g of fat per 100 g. Salmon waited for Phase 2.
Is smoked salmon OK with pancreatitis?
A 50 g portion is about 2 to 3 g of fat, so it’s easier to fit than a fillet. It’s still salmon, so Phase 2 for me, and the salt is high. Small amounts.
Read on
The full phase lists and the fat budget are in the book. For a plate that uses this: the steamed cod with lemon and dill. More answers like this one: all food questions.
Not medical advice. This page reflects one patient’s low-fat approach grounded in published guidance. Fat tolerance is individual. Check with your own healthcare team before changing your diet.