Add More Omega 3s To Your Diet

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Posted by Lynda on November 23rd, 2012 (Diet, Good Foods, Nutrition)

Simple ways to add more omega 3s to your diet, from Sydney dietitian Lynda Hamilton.

Omega 3s are an essential fatty acid that have been scientifically shown to lower cholesterol, ease arthritis, reduce high blood pressure, help with depression and protect against heart attacks, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.

Here’s how you can boost your nutrition by adding more omega 3 rich foods to your diet.

Oily Fish – but not fried

Eating 2 servings of 140g of oily fish a week is a good way of upping your intake of omega 3s. Oily fish include salmon, trout, herring, mackerel, sardines, pilchards, anchovies and eel – and contain omega 3s whether they are fresh, frozen or tinned. Tuna is also an oily fish if it is eaten fresh, but the canning process destroys its omega 3 content.

Scientists have discovered that frying any type of omega 3 food destroys the omega 3 content so grill, bake or steam the oily fish if you want to benefit form the omega 3s.

Sadly, it is not recommended that you eat more than 2 servings of oily fish a week because oily fish also contain dioxins and PCBs – nasty chemicals that we have polluted our oceans with by dumping industrial waste into the sea. Thankfully levels of dioxins and PCBs are on the decline in the world’s oceans due to more stringent regulations, but because oily fish are usually large fish which eat all the smaller fish, they contain high levels of the chemicals we have ditched into the ocean.

Walnuts & Flaxseeds

Walnuts and flaxseeds are good plant sources of omega 3s. They do not contain nearly as high a quantity of omega3s as oily fish but they are still a great addition to the diet. Sprinkle walnuts and flaxseeds onto your cereal, yoghurt and salads to boost your nutritional intake of this important essential fatty acid.

Squash

Squash is another good natural source of omega 3s. Steam it, mash it or grate it raw to add to salads.

Olive Oil

Olive oil also contains omega 3s, but these are destroyed during the cooking process. So to benefit, drizzle olive oil over salads or use it instead of butter in mash potato or on new potatoes.

By Lynda Hamilton

Lynda Hamilton is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist BSc, BHSc (N&D) at Hamilton Dietetics. If you would like to speak to a dietitian in Sydney, get in touch with Lynda.

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