11 Easy Ways to Load Up on Healthy Omega-3 Fats
Food choices you make every day can boost your omega-3 intake
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to good health, but their benefits may be missed because the American diet is chock full of omega-6 fatty acids instead. (Learn more about the pros and cons of omega-3s and 6s here.) Many foods contain both fatty acids. To ensure you get your fill of -3, you'll need to be conscientious at the grocery store. Here are 11 ways to get more omega-3 and crowd out omega-6:
Salmon. This fatty fish is exploding with omega-3 and is relatively low in omega-6. It just may be the best omega-3 bang for your buck in the seafood aisle.
Bluefin tuna. This fatty fish is packed with omega-3s and low in omega-6. Not so keen on tuna? You've got choices: mackerel, herring, and rainbow trout.
Anchovies and sardines. Though not everyone's favorite, these slimy, oily options are other good omega-3 sources. They also tend to be high in sodium, though.
Crustaceans. Fish isn't the only kind of seafood that packs an omega-3 wallop. Shrimp, mollusks, and Alaskan king crab are also excellent sources that also won't load you up with omega-6.
Oils. Throw a dash of flaxseed oil onto salad and start cooking with canola oil for a nice hit of omega-3. By subbing out other vegetable oils (like soybean, corn, and cottonseed oils), you'll also lessen your omega-6 load.
Beans. Some legumes are better than others for tipping the omega balance your way. Kidney, pinto, and mungo beans will do you right. Chickpeas are less helpful.
Nuts and seeds. Add a nutty flavor to salad, yogurt, or morning mueslix with walnuts or flaxseed. A small handful of either will up your omega-3 intake.
Spinach. Popeye was on to something. Serve up this leafy green in a salad, or sauté it and add it to pasta.
Winter squash. Keep an eye out for this seasonal vegetable—it makes an interesting side dish that boosts your omega-3 intake.
Broccoli and cauliflower. These cruciferous veggies are on your side when it comes to omega-3s.
Papaya. A tropical delight, papaya may be the only fruit in your supermarket with more omega-3 than omega-6.
For more advice on balancing essential fatty acids in your diet, read "The Right Way to Get Your Omega-3s and -6s."
Reader Comments
CHIA
Sean H, you are so right about this whole grain super food! I am waiting for it to get the recognition it deserves. Its shelf life is also much longer than that of flax seed.
Have we forgotten Chia
Without getting into the whole debate over EPA DHA and ALA, I think that many people will find that Mila (Chia) is an amazing food that is so rich in Omega 3's (3000 mg/serving, has no taste or odor, is gluten free and loaded with fiber, antioxidants and protein plus a whole lot more. If you currently take fish oil or flax, you havce to give this a try. Read more about it at www.mykindofgrain.com It gives new meaning to the word 'super-food"!
Omega's
A while back I heard a lecture from the PCRM (physicians committe for responsible medicine). It was about diet. The take home from that lecture was that fish are vegitarians, and that is why they have the omega. We could also eat green vegtables and get omega. Thank you
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