10 Best Sources of Omega-3
Your kids might need more Omega 3 if they suffer from dry skin, depression, or fatigue. Including it in their diet may help reduce stress, lower hostility rate in young adults, reduce levels of aggression, (a definite plus if you have a toddler) lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, may protect against macular degeneration (which my father-in-law is blind from). The most impressive effects to me though, according to WH Foods, Omega 3 can
reduce the risk of becoming obese and improve the body’s ability to respond to insulin by stimulating the secretion of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate food intake, body weight and metabolism, and is expressed primarily by adipocytes (fat cells) .
So, you know your kids need more, so where can you get it?
- Flaxseeds (Highest at 3.5g for 2 TBL.)
- Walnuts (2.27g for 1/4 cup)
- Salmon (2.09g for 4 oz.)
- Sardines (1.36g for 3.25 oz. can)
- Soybeans (1.03 g for 1 cup)
- Halibut (0.62g for 4 oz.)
- Shrimp (0.37g per 4 oz.)
- Tofu (0.36g per 4 oz.)
- Snapper (0.36g per 4 oz.)
- Scallops (0.35g per 4 oz.)
Of course there are always supplements, but research has shown omega-3 is best absorbed through food of course. It’s my opinion that flaxseed meal or oils is easy to add to many foods, without compromising flavor. You can add it to baked goods, smoothies, and salads.
Yesterday I arrived in sunny Arizona to learn about Bosch Kitchen Technology. My pictures are of the pool at the hotel, me and Sarah and the airport, and the complimentary taco soup!
Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
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Great pictures, that pool is gorgeous. Hope your having fun and eating lots of good food that you don’t have to cook or clean up after, hooray for that. Thanks so much for always including some nutrient info about foods. I never knew all this about omega and how it effects you in these ways. I am happy to see flaxseed on the top of the list. About two weeks ago at the grocery store a women was passing out yogurt with organic pumpkin flaxseed in it and I tried it and loved the taste and the extra crunch. So I bought a box and eat it every day with my plain yogurt and fresh fruit. I also put walnuts in my yougurt on other days too. Maybe now I should try some of the other foods on your lists. Thanks Amy can’t wait to hear about your trip.
I love your posts about nutrition! Avocado and spinach have omega 3 fatty acids as well.
I hope you are having fun! I had no idea that dry skin could be helped with omega 3.
I keep meaning to tell you that we use our leftover black bean burgers (your recipe) in omelets and oh my, is it good.
Great post!
Another good omega 3 source are chia seeds.
People are always looking for the quick fix pill when really they should be looking at natural, unprocessed foods. These posts always encourage me to eat healthier!
8 out of 10 listed are our family’s favorite. No wonder why we are so healthy! Were rich in Omega 3 : )
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Would love to see a meal plan sample of how to reach the required omega 3 for the day for a toddler.
Thank you for food sources. I just heard that plant based foods (chia, hemp, flaxseed etc) could not convert as well to omega 3s fish sources. Have you read that?
I haven’t heard that Jessica= but with most nutrients, we don’t absorb them all. We feel that a variety of real food sources will give us adequate amounts, even if not ALL of it’s absorbed.
Tip to make this more helpful and a question…
It would be more helpful if measurements consistently used metrics not metric and imperial measurements in the same sentence, e.g. ‘2.09g for 4 oz’. The internet is a global thing, so best practice is to use metric and add imperial in brackets if you think Americans won’t understand.
Question. Are you assuming that all Omega 3 has the same efficacy. I thought that plant sourced Omega 3s (ALAs) have lower efficacy therefore we need to eat larger quantities than fish sourced Omega 3s. (A bit like getting iron from plants is much less effective than getting haem iron from animals). In which case the chart above should have salmon or sardines at the top not flax seed.
Also, do flax seed oil and fish oils oxidise and the Omega 3 efficacy diminish? If so get fresh oils if you can tell they are fresh, or otherwise eat tonnes of flaxseed or modest amounts of fish.