Many foods have Omega-3 fatty acids. A diet high in certain fish, seeds, and nuts can help you get more omega-3s.
Omega-3 fatty acids have various benefits for your body and brain.
Many mainstream health organizations recommend that healthy adults consume at least 250–500 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day. You can reach that amount by eating two servings of fatty fish per week (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3).
You can get high amounts of omega-3 fats from fatty fish, algae, and several high fat plant foods.
For plant-based omega-3s, the Adequate Intake is 1,600 mg for males and 1,100 mg for females, according to the National Institutes of Health (4Trusted Source).
Here is a list of 12 foods that are very high in omega-3.
Mackerel ( 4,580 mg per serving)
1. Mackerel are small, fatty fish.
In many countries, they are commonly smoked and eaten as whole fillets.
Mackerel are incredibly rich in nutrients — a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving packs 500% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for vitamin B12 and 130% for selenium (5Trusted Source).
What’s more, these fish are delicious and require little preparation.
Omega-3 content: 4,580 mg of EPA and DHA (combined) in 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
2. Salmon ( 2,150 mg per serving)
Salmon is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.
It contains high quality protein and a variety of nutrients, including large amounts of vitamin D, selenium, and B vitamins (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
Studies show that people who regularly eat fatty fish such as salmon have a lower risk of conditions like heart disease, dementia, and depression (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).
Omega-3 content: 2,150 mg of EPA and DHA (combined) in 3.5 ounces
3. Cod liver oil ( 2,438 mg per serving)
Cod liver oil is more of a supplement than a food.
As the name implies, it is oil extracted from the livers of the fish called cod.
This oil is not only high in omega-3 fatty acids but also loaded with vitamins D and A, with a single tablespoon providing 170% and 453% of the Daily Value (DV), respectively (12Trusted Source).
Therefore, taking just 1 tablespoon of cod liver oil more than satisfies your need for three incredibly important nutrients.
However, don’t take more than 1 tablespoon at a time, as too much vitamin A can be harmful.
Omega-3 content: 2,438 mg of EPA and DHA (combined) per tablespoon
4. Herring ( 2,150 mg per serving)
Herring is a medium-size oily fish. It is often cold-smoked, pickled, or precooked and then sold as a canned snack.
Smoked herring is a popular breakfast food in countries such as England, where it’s called kippers and is served with eggs.
A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of herring contains almost 100% of the DV for selenium and 779% of the DV for vitamin B12 (13Trusted Source).
Omega-3 content: 2,150 mg of EPA and DHA (combined) in 3.5 ounces
5. Oysters (329 mg per serving)
Shellfish are among the most nutritious foods you can eat.
In fact, oysters contain more zinc than any other food on the planet. Just 6 raw eastern oysters (3 ounces or 85 grams) pack 289% of the DV for zinc, 69% for copper, and 567% for vitamin B12 (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).
Oysters can be eaten as an appetizer, snack, or whole meal. Raw oysters are a delicacy in many countries.
Omega-3 content: 329 mg of EPA and DHA (combined) in 6 raw eastern oysters, or 391 mg per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
6. Sardines ( 1,463 mg per serving)
Sardines are very small oily fish that are commonly eaten as an appetizer, snack, or delicacy.
They’re highly nutritious, especially when eaten whole. They contain almost every nutrient your body needs.
A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of drained sardines provides more than 370% of the DV for vitamin B12, 24% for vitamin D, and 96% for selenium (16Trusted Source).
Omega-3 content: 1,463 mg of EPA and DHA (combined) per cup (149 grams) of canned Atlantic sardines, or 982 mg per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
7. Anchovies (411 mg per serving)
Anchovies are tiny oily fish often bought dried or canned.
Usually eaten in very small portions, anchovies can be rolled around capers, stuffed into olives, or used as pizza and salad toppings.
Because of their strong taste, they are also used to flavor many dishes and sauces, including Worcestershire sauce, remoulade, and Caesar dressing.
Anchovies are a great source of niacin and selenium, and boned anchovies are a decent source of calcium (17Trusted Source).
Omega-3 content: 411 mg of EPA and DHA (combined) per 5 anchovies (20 grams), or 2,053 mg per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
8. Caviar (1,046 mg per serving)
Caviar consists of fish eggs, or roe.
Widely regarded as a luxurious food item, caviar is most often used in small quantities as an appetizer, taster, or garnish.
Caviar is a good source of choline and a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids (18Trusted Source).
Omega-3 content: 1,046 mg of EPA and DHA (combined) per tablespoon (16 grams), or 6,540 mg per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
9. Flaxseed (2,350 mg per serving)
These small brown or yellow seeds are often ground, milled, or pressed to extract oil.
They are by far the richest whole food source of the omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Therefore, flaxseed oil is often used as an omega-3 supplement.
Flaxseed is also a good source of fiber, magnesium, and other nutrients. The seeds have a great omega-6 to omega-3 ratio as compared with most other oily plant seeds (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).
Omega-3 content: 2,350 mg of ALA per tablespoon (10.3 grams) of whole seeds, or 7,260 mg per tablespoon (13.6 grams) of oil
10. Chia seeds (5,050 mg per serving)
Chia seeds are incredibly nutritious — rich in manganese, selenium, magnesium, and a few other nutrients (23Trusted Source).
A standard 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of chia seeds contains 5 grams of protein, including all eight essential amino acids.
Omega-3 content: 5,050 mg of ALA per ounce
11. Walnuts (2,570 mg per serving)
Walnuts are very nutritious and loaded with fiber. They also contain high amounts of copper, manganese, and vitamin E, as well as important plant compounds (24Trusted Source).
Make sure not to remove the skin, as it packs most of walnuts’ phenol antioxidants, which offer important health benefits (25).
Omega-3 content: 2,570 mg of ALA per ounce (28 grams), or about 14 walnut halve
12. Soybeans (670 mg per serving)
Soybeans are a good source of fiber and vegetable protein.
They are also a good source of other nutrients, including riboflavin, folate, vitamin K, magnesium, and potassium (26Trusted Source).
However, soybeans are also very high in omega-6 fatty acids. Researchers have suggested that eating too much omega-6 may cause inflammation (27Trusted Source).
Omega-3 content: 670 mg of ALA in a 1/2 cup (47 grams) of dry roasted soybeans, or 1,440 mg per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
13.Other foods?
Keep in mind that sections 1–8 discuss foods that contain the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, which are found in some animal foods, seafood, and algae.
Conversely, sections 9–12 mention foods that provide the omega-3 fat ALA, which is inferior to the other two.
Although not as high in omega-3 as the foods above, many other foods contain decent amounts.
These include pastured eggs, omega-3-enriched eggs, meats and dairy products from grass-fed animals, hemp seeds, and vegetables such as spinach, Brussels sprouts, and purslane.
The bottom line
As you can see, many whole foods contain large amounts of omega-3s.
Omega-3s provide numerous health benefits, such as helping to prevent inflammation and heart disease.
If you typically eat these foods, you may easily meet your omega-3 needs. However, if you don’t eat many of these foods and think you may be lacking in omega-3s, you may want to consider taking omega-3 supplements.