Avocado vs Smoked Salmon – Which is Healthier?

Our Verdict

When comparing avocado to smoked salmon, we picked the avocado.

Why?

In terms of macros, these are quite dissimilar, despite often fulfilling a similar culinary role; avocado has a lot of fiber (salmon has none) while salmon has a lot of protein (avocado has quite little). So far, so tied. When we look at fats, it gets interesting, because people often assume that all fish are fatty, and it’s not so; salmon are a rather lean fish, while avocado, meanwhile, is famously oily for a plant. This means that proportionally, salmon has more saturated fat, though avocado has more in total; avocado also has much more monounsaturated fat (proportionally and in total), while both foods have approximately equal omega-3. All in all, notwithstanding their many differences, the pros and cons are balanced, we we declare this category a tie.

In the category of vitamins, avocado has more of vitamins B1, B2, B5, B9, C, E, and K, while salmon has more of vitamins A, B3, B12, D, and choline. Superficially that’s a 7:5 win for avocado already, but it’s worth mentioning that avocados have a huge margin of difference when it comes to vitamins B9 and K (with more than 40x the vitamin B9, and more than 210x the vitamin K), which puts the result even further in avocado’s favor. So, a very clear win for avocado here.

When it comes to minerals, avocado has more magnesium, manganese, potassium, and zinc, while salmon has more copper, iron, phosphorus, and selenium. That’d be a 4:4 tie, but salmon also has around 100x the sodium, which makes this category a win for avocado.

In terms of phytochemicals, avocado has some beneficial flavonols, while salmon has nothing because, well, it’s not plant. That said, the numbers are very low for avocado, sufficient that for practical purposes, we could call this round a tie, even if the win should technically go to avocado.

There are a couple of extra things that salmon normally has that avocado doesn’t: salmon usually contains antibiotics and heavy metals. If it’s farmed, it’ll be super high in antibiotics (that’s very bad) unless the company has clear outside testing certifications attesting to the contrary; if it’s wild-caught, then antibiotics levels can be expected to be relatively lower, though antibiotic pollution levels are rising in rivers and the coastal waters they discharge into. Please also do not fall for greenwashing; a “clean” aesthetic does not mean the product is free from contaminants (and almost no fish will be completely free from heavy metals these days). Needless to say, both of these things count against salmon, and thus mean an extra point or two for avocado in comparison.

Adding up the sections makes a clear overall win for avocado, but as we say, both have their merits, so do enjoy either or both!

Want to learn more?

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Farmed Fish vs Wild Caught: Important Differences

Enjoy!