There are several foods that when you order them at a restaurant you want them to be as fresh as possible, but none more than fish. Whether cooked or served raw, you want your seafood to be so fresh that you can almost taste the sea. While fresh fish tastes better, it’s also safer to eat than fish that has been kept in a cooler for days before being prepared for a diner.

The American Heart Association recommends eating fish once or twice per week due to its health benefits, including its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are considered good for your heart. In addition, fish is low in fat and high in protein and are low in “bad” fats (omega-6 fatty acids), per Environmental Defense Fund. 

Fish may have a lot of positive health benefits, but it can also make you sick if handled improperly. Huffington Post reported that fish stays fresh in the fridge for only two to three days. 

Worst days to order fish and the best

Craving fish on Sunday? Think again about ordering it at a restaurant, according to Eddie Huang, chef and owner of the Lower East Side restaurant BaoHaus, per Wide Open Eats. In his book, “Kitchen Confidential” Anthony Bourdain also said that ordering fish on Sundays was a bad idea because the fish was likely left from the shipment from a few days prior.

According to Healthline, fish that has not been kept at the correct temperature could become contaminated with a toxin called histamine, which is the result of bacteria in fish. In addition, Healthline reports that histamine is not eradicated during foods being cooked at a normal temperature and can result in food poisoning. 

The best days to order seafood, according to industry insiders? Tuesdays and Fridays because those days are when the fish on hand is the freshest and recipes have been perfected (via Wide Open Eats). Typically, restaurants receive their fish orders on Friday mornings and Mondays (possibly later in the day) after they placed their orders on Thursday for the weekend, according to the site.

So, the next time you crave fresh tuna, you may just want to wait until a Tuesday or Friday to satisfy that craving.