Top 10 Foods with the Highest Omega 3 to Omega 6 Ratio

Written by Daisy Whitbread, MScNPowered by USDA Nutrition Data
Top 10 Foods with the Highest Omega 3 to Omega 6 Ratio

Several studies suggest eating a diet with a high Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio leads to a reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, developmental disorders, and cognitive aging. (1,2)

This article suggests foods with the highest Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio so that you can achieve a better balance in your diet.

Foods with a high Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio include crab, fish (tuna, cod, salmon), mussels, rapini, spinach, flax seeds, mangoes, lettuce, and kidney beans.

There is no daily value set for omega 3s, but the adequate intake (AI) per day is set at 1600mg. This is used to calculate the AI of Omega 3s for the foods in the list.

Below is a list of foods with high omega 3 to omega 6 ratios, for more, see the list of foods high in omega 3s, and the complete ranking of over 200 foods high in omega 3s per omega 6.

List of Foods High in Omega 3s and Low in Omega 6

A crab claw

#1: Snow Crab (Queen Crab)

61mg Omega 3 per 1mg Omega 6
Omega 3s per 3ozOmega 3s per 100g
415mg
(26% AI)		488mg
(31% AI)
Nutrition Facts for Queen Crab (Cooked). (Source)
See the complete list of seafood and fish with a high omega 3 to 6 ratio.
A cod fillet

#2: Atlantic Cod

29mg Omega 3 per 1mg Omega 6
Omega 3s per 6oz FilletOmega 3s per 100g
310mg
(19% AI)		172mg
(11% AI)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Atlantic Cod. (Source)
See the complete list of seafood and fish with a high omega 3 to 6 ratio.
Tuna Fillet

#3: Tuna

25mg Omega 3 per 1mg Omega 6
Omega 3s in a 6oz FilletOmega 3s per 100g
2914mg
(182% AI)		1714mg
(107% AI)
Nutrition Facts for Bluefin Tuna (Cooked). (Source)
Mussels

#4: Mussels

25mg Omega 3 per 1mg Omega 6
Omega 3s per 3ozOmega 3s per 100g
762mg
(48% AI)		896mg
(56% AI)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Blue Mussels. (Source)
Broccoli Raab (Rapini)

#5: Broccoli Raab (Rapini)

6mg Omega 3 per 1mg Omega 6
Omega 3s per Cup CookedOmega 3s per 100g
171mg
(11% AI)		201mg
(13% AI)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Broccoli Raab. (Source)
See the complete list of vegetables with a high omega 3 to 6 ratio.

Does broccoli raab really contain omega 3 fats?
A Bowl of Spinach

#6: Spinach

5mg Omega 3 per 1mg Omega 6
Omega 3s per Cup CookedOmega 3s per 100g
166mg
(10% AI)		92mg
(6% AI)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Spinach. (Source)
Does spinach really provide omega 3 fats?
Flax Seeds

#7: Flax Seeds

4mg Omega 3 per 1mg Omega 6
Omega 3s per OzOmega 3s per 100g
6479mg
(405% AI)		22813mg
(1426% AI)
Nutrition Facts for Flax Seeds. (Source)
-Chia seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts are the only other seed (or nut) with a good omega 3 to 6 ratio.
Mangos

#8: Mangos

3mg Omega 3 per 1mg Omega 6
Omega 3s per CupOmega 3s per 100g
84mg
(5% AI)		51mg
(3% AI)
Nutrition Facts for Mangos. (Source)
Papayas also have a high omega 3 to omega 6 ratio.
See the complete list of fruits with a high omega 3 to 6 ratio.
A head of lettuce

#9: Lettuce

2mg Omega 3 per 1mg Omega 6
Omega 3s per CupOmega 3s per 100g
46mg
(3% AI)		83mg
(5% AI)
Nutrition Facts for Butterhead Lettuce. (Source)
Is lettuce really a source of omega 3 fats?
Kidney Beans

#10: Kidney Beans

2mg Omega 3 per 1mg Omega 6
Omega 3s per CupOmega 3s per 100g
301mg
(19% AI)		170mg
(11% AI)
Nutrition Facts for Kidney Beans. (Source)
See the complete list of beans with a high omega 3 to 6 ratio.

Printable One Page Sheet

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Printable of foods with a high omega 3 to 6 ratio. Foods with a high Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio include crab, fish (tuna, cod, salmon), mussels, rapini, spinach, flax seeds, mangoes, lettuce, and kidney beans.

Do Leafy Greens like Broccoli Raab, Spinach, and Lettuce really have Omega 3 fats?

While it is surprising, leafy greens like lettuce and spinach do contain omega 3 fats. Specifically alpha-linolenic acid (18:3).

While a cup of butterhead lettuce only has 0.1g of fat, this is equivalent to 1000mg of fat. Of those fats 0.046g or 46mg are alpha-Linolenic acid or (18:3).

Viewing the data directly from the USDA we see that 100 grams of butter head lettuce provides even more than a cup, with 0.083g or 83mg of ALAs. This is listed under 18:3 on the USDA website.

While there are many plant foods higher in Omega 3 fats, you don't want to discount leafy green as a source of healthy fats in your diet. A large salad can get you far in meeting your 1600mg recommended daily intake (RDI) for Omega 3s.


View more food groups with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.
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Data Sources and References

  1. The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids
  2. Fatty acids from fish: the anti-inflammatory potential of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.
  3. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central

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