Top 10 Foods Highest in Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat with various health benefits including reducing the risk of heart disease (1), reducing the risk and severity of dementia (2), and alleviating inflammation in arthritis sufferers (3). They are referred to as 'essential fats' as they cannot be made in the body, so have to be obtained through the diet.
The 3 principal omega-3 fatty acids are:
- Alpha Linolenic Acids (ALAs) - found in plant foods
- Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) - found in fish and seafood
- Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) - found in fish and seafood
High omega-3 foods include flaxseeds, chia seeds, fish, walnuts, tofu, shellfish, canola oil, navy beans, brussels sprouts, and avocados. (4) The adequate intake (AI) for omega 3 fats is 1600mg per day (5,6).
Below are the top 10 foods high in omega 3 fatty acids. For more, see the list of foods with a high omega 3 to omega 6 ratio, and the complete list of over 200 foods high in omega 3s.
List of High Omega 3 Foods
1 Flax Seeds| Omega 3s per Oz | Omega 3s per 100g | Omega 3s per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 6479mg (405% AI) | 22813mg (1426% AI) | 8544mg (534% AI) |
See all nuts and seeds high in omega 3s.
2 Chia Seeds| Omega 3s per oz(~2 Tblsp) | Omega 3s per 100g | Omega 3s per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 5064mg (316% AI) | 17830mg (1114% AI) | 7337mg (459% AI) |
- 165% AI in 1 oz of hemp seeds
3 Fish (Salmon)| Omega 3s per 6oz Fillet | Omega 3s per 100g | Omega 3s per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 4252mg (266% AI) | 2501mg (156% AI) | 2428mg (152% AI) |
More Fish High in Omega 3s
- 240% AI in a 5oz herring fillet
- 182% AI in a 6oz tuna fillet
- 84% AI in 3oz of canned salmon
See the complete list of fish high in omega 3s.
4 Walnuts| Omega 3s per Oz | Omega 3s per 100g | Omega 3s per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 2579mg (161% AI) | 9080mg (568% AI) | 2777mg (174% AI) |
More Nuts High in Omega 3s
- 18% AI in 1oz of pecans
- 14% AI in 1oz of pine nuts
- 5% AI in 1oz of pistachios
See all nuts and seeds high in omega 3s.
5 Firm Tofu| Omega 3s per Cup | Omega 3s per 100g | Omega 3s per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1467mg (92% AI) | 582mg (36% AI) | 808mg (51% AI) |
Other Soy Products High in Omega 3s
- 64% AI in 1 cup of boiled soybeans (edamame)
- 30% AI in 1 cup of cooked soybean sprouts
6 Shellfish (Oysters)| Omega 3s per 3oz Serving | Omega 3s per 100g | Omega 3s per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1346mg (84% AI) | 1584mg (99% AI) | 1944mg (121% AI) |
More Seafood High in Omega 3s
- 48% AI in 3oz of mussels
- 22% AI in 3oz of crab
- 10% AI in 3oz of clams
See the complete list of fish and seafood high in omega 3s.
7 Canola Oil| Omega 3s per Tblsp | Omega 3s per 100g | Omega 3s per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1279mg (80% AI) | 9137mg (571% AI) | 2067mg (129% AI) |
Other Vegetable Oils High in Omega 3s
- 58% AI in 1 tblsp of soybean oil
- 52% AI in 1 tblsp of mustard oil
- 14% AI in 1 tblsp of rice bran oil
8 Navy (Haricot) Beans| Omega 3s per Cup | Omega 3s per 100g | Omega 3s per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 322mg (20% AI) | 177mg (11% AI) | 253mg (16% AI) |
More Beans High in Omega 3s
- 19% AI in 1 cup of kidney beans
- 15% AI in 1 cup of pinto beans
- 11 AI in 1 cup of black beans
9 Brussels Sprouts| Omega 3s per Cup Cooked | Omega 3s per 100g | Omega 3s per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 270mg (17% AI) | 173mg (11% AI) | 961mg (60% AI) |
More Vegetables High in Omega 3s
- 14% AI in 1 cup of Chinese broccoli
- 12% AI in 1 cup of winter squash
- 12% AI in 1 cup of broccoli
- 11% AI in 1 cup of zucchini
- 10% AI in 1 cup of spinach
See all vegetables high in omega 3s.
10 Avocados| Omega 3s per Avocado | Omega 3s per 100g | Omega 3s per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 223mg (14% AI) | 111mg (7% AI) | 139mg (9% AI) |
More Fruits High in Omega 3s
- 12% AI in 1 cup of guavas
- 10% AI in 1 cup of raspberries
- 8% AI in 1 cup of blackberries
- 7% AI in 1 cup of strawberries
- 5% AI in 1 cup of blueberries
- 5% AI in 1 cup of mangoes
See all fruits high in omega 3s.
See All 200 Foods High in Omega 3s
Next ➞Printable One Page Sheet
Health Benefits of Omega 3s
Problems measuring the amount of Omega 3 Fats
About the Data
Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.
You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.
Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.
About Nutrient Targets
Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.
Some of the most popular targets include:- Daily Value (%DV) - The %DV is a general guideline for everyone and accounts for absorption factors. It is the most common target in the U.S. and is the target on the nutrition labels of most products. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
- Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5 percent) healthy individuals and is specific to age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Instutites of Health.
- Adequate Intake (%AI) - Sets a target for Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats. The Adequate Intake is also set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. It represents a number to ensure adequacy but lacks the same level of evidence as the Reference Dietary Intake. In short, the number is less accurate than the RDI.
- Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, and is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.
Want to set your own targets? Sign up for an account and set custom targets in the daily meal planner.From the Nutrient Ranking Tool
- Foods High in Omega 3s
- Foods Low in Omega 3s
- Vegetables High in Omega 3s
- Fruits High in Omega 3s
- Vegetarian Foods High in Omega 3s
- Nuts High in Omega 3s
- Beans High in Omega 3s
- Dairy High in Omega 3s
- Breakfast Cereals High in Omega 3s
- Fast Foods High in Omega 3s
View more food groups with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.
Related
Data Sources and References
- Penny M. Kris-Etherton, William S. Harris, Lawrence J. Appel. Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.2003; 23: 151-152doi: 10.1161/01.ATV.0000057393.97337.AE
- CH Maclean, AM Issa, SJ Newberry, WA Mojica, SC Morton, RH Garland, LG Hilton, SB Traina, and PG Shekelle. Effects of Omega 3 Fatty Acids on Cognitive Function with Aging, Dementia, and Neurological Diseases: Summary. AHRQ Evidence Report Summaries.
- Rebecca Wall1, R Paul Ross, Gerald F Fitzgerald, and Catherine Stanton. Fatty acids from fish: the anti-inflammatory potential of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Nutrition ReviewsVolume 68, Issue 5, pages 280-289, May 2010
- U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
- Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. The National Academies Press.
- Oregan State University on Essential Fatty Acids
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