Hi! Are you among those who sometimes search Google or internet forums for answers to the question, can you eat goldfish?
Don’t worry; I am, too, one of you who have the curiosity to know can we eat goldfish or not a few days back. So let’s look at what I found.
Goldfish, formally known as the Carassius auratus, is one of the most popular aquarium fish globally. If you’ve owned an aquarium in the past, you’ve enjoyed watching your pet goldfish swim happily around their new home.
But many people wonder if they’re edible! Or what kind of goldfish can they eat? While they are marketed as snacks, goldfish don’t have any nutritional value and can’t be eaten without consequences. Let’s take a look at can you eat goldfish? And if you should!
How Many Calories Are In One Goldfish?
When I start searching to know do people eat goldfish, the first thing that pops up in my mind is if it’s edible, so how about its calorie count?
If you plan to eat one, you should be happy to know that eating a goldfish won’t ruin your diet, as a single goldfish contains 0.003 calories.
Even if you eat a thousand goldfish, you will only gain 3 calories. Even though the calories they contain are almost zero, they are not good calories at all.
Related reading: How big do minnows get?
Can You Eat A Goldfish?
Can goldfish be eaten? The answer to this question is yes. Goldfish are edible like most of the other fishes out there.
You can eat them, but you shouldn’t be eating them as it is not encouraged at all. There are many reasons why you should not be eating them.
While they look harmless, they can carry mycobacterial diseases and harmful parasitic infections like Capillariasis philippinensis.
Capillariasis philippinensis are intestinal worms, and upon digesting them, you may face abdominal pain, fatigue, and diarrhea. In extreme cases, it can kill you too.
Even if you cook your goldfish, the danger will persist, and you will still get diseases. While there are much healthier and more nutritious fish available, there is no good explanation present why someone would still prefer eating a goldfish.
Can You Eat Goldfish Eggs?
Goldfish lay many bubbly eggs at once, up to one thousand, making it impossible for all eggs to be fertilized and hatch.
As goldfish naturally cannot identify their eggs, they can start eating the eggs they lay. Goldfish eat goldfish eggs, but do people eat goldfish eggs too? Yes, they do, and eating them is not dangerous at all.
Although not everyone can be daring enough to try them as they may not look appetizing, they are very nutritious.
They are packed with Vitamin B12, omega-3 fats, vitamin D, and sodium. Fish eggs can be eaten in many ways. Some people cook them, and some people eat them raw.
Is It Legal To Eat A Goldfish In Your State?
Can goldfish be eaten in your state? You must make sure it is legal to consume it in your state before you plan to gulp one.
In the United Kingdom, it is considered illegal if someone consumes a goldfish. If you get caught eating one, be ready to be arrested and fined.
A man in the UK was caught eating a goldfish he won at a country fair. He won that fish, ate it alive in front of everyone, and even filmed it to post it on Facebook. He was not only arrested and fined, but the police also banned him from keeping a pet for three years.
In the United States, eating a goldfish comes under animal cruelty, which is unacceptable and punishable by imprisonment and fines.
Is It Safe To Eat Too Many Goldfish At Once?
You may think about eating too many goldfish at once, inspired by the goldfish crackers. Talking about goldfish crackers- the popular snack, you can eat them as much as you desire at once.
But can you eat goldfish? The live ones? Too many at once?
The answer is no.
A goldfish contains 0.003 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 0 cholesterol. It is pointless to eat too many goldfish at once as it will have no good nutritional value and negatively affect your health instead of the mycobacterial diseases it contains.
What Does A Goldfish Taste Like?
What do you feed your fish? What does your aquarium (or pond) water taste like? That is exactly how your goldfish would taste like.
What can goldfish eat?
It can eat things like algae, mosquitos, bloodworms, water fleas, or the flakes and pellets that you feed them. Now imagine how they would taste. They are not tasty at all.
A goldfish living in mud water would taste like mud, and a fish living in an aquarium would taste like the pellets it is being fed.
I am sure that now after reading this, you will not assume that they taste cheesy just like those goldfish crackers.
Is It Safe To Swallow A Live Goldfish?
If I tell you that during the 1940s, the goldfish-swallowing challenge was a craze among college students that still exists in some parts of the world today, would you believe me?. Many people swallow live goldfish, which is very harmful to their health.
Health issues apart, it is also very cruel to swallow a live goldfish as the goldfish stays alive in your stomach for a while.
Imagine how painful it would be for the poor little fish. After all, the human stomach is a pretty terrible place to swim. It would die a slow death.
Can we eat goldfish alive? Is it safe? Who’s safety should we be concerned about; goldfish’s safety or ours?
Can Eating A Goldfish Kill You?
The chances of getting killed by a goldfish are low but never zero. Knowing how lethal goldfish are, you should always remember that you may die from them if you still want to eat them. The deadly diseases they carry with them won’t kill you immediately.
You would get sick at first, and if you cannot recover, you will eventually die. If you are swallowing a live goldfish, there are chances you may choke on it and die a painful death. Can u eat a goldfish and die because of it? Yes, eating a goldfish can kill you in extreme cases.
The beautiful golden-colored fish may look harmless, but they aren’t.
Final Verdict:
Chinese people first bred goldfish for food, but their beauty and ornamental values increased with time, and people started to keep them as pets.
Today, the goldfish are not as edible as they used to be centuries back. You may eat one but at your own risk because they are not safe to consume.
Instead of wondering can u eat goldfish or not, pet them with love. Goldfish are peaceful, glorious pets that don’t deserve to be eaten by their owners. Having them as pets can reduce anxiety and lower your blood pressure.
If you wish to eat goldfish eggs, you may devour them as they are not harmful at all, but no, please don’t think about eating your innocent pet goldfish, maintain them with love, care and devotion and buy some salmon or tilapia from your grocery store instead if you are craving for some fish.
Frequently Asked Questions
#1 – Can you eat goldfish in the wild?
Can you eat wild goldfish? Goldfish are edible, but they may get lethal for you if you fish them in contaminated waters.
So make sure if you have no option other than eating a goldfish in the wild, the waters from which you catch your fish shouldn’t be polluted.
#2 – Can you eat goldfish from a lake?
Goldfish reproduce rapidly in lakes. You can eat goldfish from a lake, however, do keep in mind that lake water goldfish would taste muddy as goldfish are carps that don’t have a taste of their own.
#3 – Can you eat goldfish with braces?
Since goldfish are pretty bony, it is not advised to eat them with braces. The fishbone may mess up your orthodontics treatment. Boneless, lean fish meat should be consumed with braces instead.
