Q & A Thursday: vegetarian sources of Omega 3s
Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils
Next question is from Lucy – how to get Omega 3s in a completely vegetarian diet?
The Omega 3 essential fatty acids are very important to our health. While some fish are high in Omega 3s there are a number of other foods that contain these lovely nutrients.
If you want to avoid fish, then the main other sources of Omega 3s are:
- flaxseeds
- nuts, especially walnuts, hazelnuts and brazil nuts
- soybeans
- green vegies
There’s some debate about how much we need of these fats and even the most recent Australian nutrient reference values are somewhat confusing. While they set an average intake of 160mg for men and 90mg for women, they also recommend a much higher intake to reduce the risk of chronic disease. These suggested dietary targets are 610mg for men and 430mg for women.
As we are able to store Omega 3s, you don’t need to have this amount every day, but your intake over the week should average out at this higher level.
It’s quite possible to get enough Omega 3s in your diet from vegetarian sources:
- 20g of flaxseeds contains 4,500mg Omega 3s
- 20g of walnuts contains 1,800mg Omega 3s
- 100g tofu contains 181mg Omega 3s
- 50g raw spinach contains 70mg Omega 3s
- 100g hazelnuts contains 87mg Omega 3s
One note, there is some concern that the take-up of Omega 3s from vegetable sources is not as good as from fish. You would be wise therefore, to aim for a higher intake than the suggested dietary target.
If you are vegetarian, or don’t eat fish, then include the above foods in your diet on a regular basis. Omega 3 intake is one of the reasons I started making muffins regularly (eg peach, walnut and ginger muffins and pear, maple and walnut muffins). You could also add walnut oil to salad dressings and sprinkle flaxseed meal (available from health food shops) over your morning cereal.
19 July, 2007
Comments
Thank you Kathryn, this is more helpful than you know.
Off to make your muffins this morning – have some pears just waiting for something like this.
No problems at all Lucy.
thank you very much for this – it is info that I’ve been looking for. The only source I knew much about before this is buckwheat, which I see isn’t on your list. Unfortunately, I don’t know about the levels, as it is something I learnt about from someone researching buckwheat, rather than omega3s, so it was something she mentioned in passing.
Anna, thanks for your comment. Yes, buckwheat does contain some Omega 3s – about 80mg per 100g of dried buckwheat. The above list is definitely not exhaustive – there are quite a few plant-foods that contain some Omega 3s.
In my list above, I concentrated on the easiest ways to get Omega 3s for most people – I don’t find buckwheat to be a very widely used food!
Buckwheat is quite a rich source of nutrients though, so it’s a good one to include in your diet if you can.
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Chia seeds are another fantastic source of Omega-3. Best if used pre-soaked (they absorb huge amounts of water, forming kind of jelly); if soaked in milk, can be used instead of normal cereals, some use them as an egg substitute, or (when served with fruit) as an alternative to jelly. I know a few people (myself included here) who have been eating 3Tbsp of chia daily, and after several months have seen tremendous improvements to their health. It’s a LOT of chia (as 3Tbs expands to a bowlful!), but really worth trying if one has any muslce/joint problems. Even arthritis improves!
Half the idea behind omega 3 is getting enough so as to reduce the ratio of omega6-omega 3. Both are polyunsaturated fats and compete for absoption on the same metabolic pathway. While nuts are a source of omega 3 they are also very high in omega 6, especially walnuts, which have a ratio of like 10/1. So not that great if it’s omega 3 you want.
You might also be interested in the link below, where the author suggests plant sources in general are not sources of bioavailable omega 3….
http://chriskresser.com/why-fish-stomps-flax-as-a-source-of-omega-3
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