Eat your oily fish, eat more fish, fish is great for brain heath. Sound familiar? I think that oily fish for omega 3 is something that’s drummed into us constantly, and that’s all well and good unless you’re vegan/ on a plant based diet. People constantly talk about vegans not getting enough protein (even though that’s easy), but I feel like omega 3 is overlooked. In June’s series of plant sourced we’re going to be looking at plant based sources of omega 3. A lot of them are very easy to add into your food and sneak into your meals without even noticing.
Related Posts: Vegan Protein Sources & High Protein Vegan Recipes
What Is Omega 3?
Omega 3 acids are an essential source of fat. There are three main types of omega 3; the fatty fish we’re told to eat is a source of DHA and and EPA, whereas plant sources are only typically high in ALA. Now, the human body is a brilliant machine, and it can covert the ALA into the other varieties that it needs. However, because it’s putting the extra work in, those on a plant based diet need more omega 3 in their diets than those eating oily fish. The conversion rate for both DHA and EPA are very low, so unless you’re eating an incredibly high amount of the following foods, it may be a good idea to supplement.
The good news? Many plant sources of omega 3 provide much higher ALA than we need per day, so we do often have some surplus to convert. So it’s possible you could get enough of all 3 without too much effort.
Why Do We Need Omega 3?
Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid because we cannot make it ourselves, meaning our bodies need it from external sources. It’s widely reported that omega 3 can help with everything from improved brain power to cardio health, although there’s very little evidence to back either of those claims. Read more about that on the NHS website.
However there are lower risk of heart disease in countries such as Mediterranean countries and Japan and, with a diet rich in omega-3 compared to Western countries such as the US and UK. Of course other dietary and lifestyle factors can also contribute to this.
Sources of Omega 3
According to the British Dietetics Association, in the UK there is no specific recommendation of a dose for omega-3 for the general population. As a result, I’m not aiming for a specific amount of omega 3 in my recipes this month, they’re more going to be focused on easy ways to add omega 3 to your diet to make sure you can easily incorporate it into your meals.
The only official recommendations we have here are to eat fish twice a week, one of which is to be oily fish. Which is really helpful for vegetarians, vegans and people who don’t like fish.
I’m going to take salmon as an example and show how much omega 3 is in a serving, so you have a reference to compare the plant based omega 3 sources to.
Heart UK advise to get Aim to get 500mg of EPA and DHA combined each day, this works out as around the same as a 140g portion of oily fish per week.
Omega 3 in salmon:
3.7g total per recommended 140g sized serving.
Plant Based Sources of Omega 3
Algae oil
Algae oil is by far the best plant based source, as that’s where the fish get it from in the first place. It’s the only plant based source of omega 3 that contains direct EPA and DHA, so taking algae supplements (or eating a lot of seaweed/ sushi) is the best way to ensure you’re getting the correct amount on a plant based diet.
For this reason, most plant based omega 3 supplements are algae based. If you do opt to take a supplement, algae ones are likely to be the most beneficial as your body has to do less work to convery them.
Though the numbers of the following may look high in comparison, remember that the conversion rate for these figures may only be 5%.
Chia seeds
I know not everyone is a fan, but they’re a very easy breakfast add on and a great source of ALA.
1.8g per tbsp.
Flax seeds
Adding flax seeds to breakfasts and smoothies is another great way to sneak in some omega 3. But flax eggs are one of the easiest way to add it to your diet, and essential for lots of recipes!
1.6g per tbsp
Flax seed oil – 7.3g per tbsp
Hemp seeds
I’m not the biggest fan of this one, preferring to opt for one of the previous too. But you can find hemp seeds in a lot of free from bars and granolas, so you may be getting a small amount without even realising it.
0.9g per serving
Walnuts
A great snack, you can bake with it, I often add them to my veggie meatballs or things like my vegan wellington at Christmas time so they’re a versatile option.
2.6g per 30g serving
Walnut oil 1.6g per tbsp
Edamame
Yes, this is a low number. But it’s also something you can eat in many ways and typically eat in larger quantities at a time than the other things listed too. It’s highly unlikely to be your main omega 3 source, but it makes a good top up.
0.6g per cup
Suggested Recipe: Graze Style Protein Mix
This one was a little more complicated than my typical ‘vegan sources of…’ posts, so I hope this all made sense? Are you vegan, do you take any kind of omega 3 supplement?
Until next time,
Sophie
I had no idea omega 3 was found in all of these. Thank goodness because I’m not a fan of fish. I do take supplements but sometimes I don’t think that’s enough. Great information!
I love this thanks so much for sharing, I am currently going vegan for June and have been a bit worried about my protein intake so this has given me some great ideas! Thank you.
Moll x
I know Omega 3’s are very important for your health. I try to include Omega resources when I can. I daily Omega supplement is a must in our house.
I never realised that there was so much Omega 3 in chia seeds! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I’ve been a vegetarian for a good few years now and I feel like I always worry that I’m not getting enough of most things, omega, iron, etc. Its definitely something I should take more notice of when I choose what I’m eating. I actually used to really like fish before, it was probably one of the meats that I ate the most of so its good to know what what I can eat that contains omega 3 too.
Chloe xx
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I love chia and flax seeds. I have added chia seeds to my smoothies before, and I love to snack on walnuts or add them to salads. I have never heard of edamame, but it sounds interesting!
Thank you so much for sharing this advice. I’m sending you so much love. Stay strong, stay home, stay safe. ♡
With love, Alisha Valerie x | http://www.alishavalerie.com
So a couple of tbsp of chia seeds is like eating a portion of salmon? Mind-boggling! I am happy to report I regularly eat a lot of these so this post made me really happy – I don’t eat as much fish as I should, but maybe I don’t need to, after all. Fabulous! Many thanks for sharing this!
Thanks for the scoop on Omega 3 – very eye-opening as to where it can all be found!
This is really interesting to read as I’m eating a mostly plant based diet now I need says of improving my omega 3 sources x
I love sushi and sea weed, and you can’t go wrong with some walnuts. Some good ideas to try with my daughter over time (introducing a new food to her is an adventure) as she flat out refuses to eat any fish. On the basis of they are too cute to eat.
I honestly had no idea that chia seeds and walnuts were a source of omega 3! I’m so glad two of my favorite food are helping me get omega 3! Thanks for all the great information in this post 🙂
Brynn I https://www.brynnie.com
I love all these things that contain omega 3 but don’t get to eat them daily so I take a vegan omega supplement.
People also don’t tend to realise that fish get omega 3 from eating algae so buy taking algae oil, you’re getting it straight from the source without killing creatures 🙂
Helen
Oh wow, I would have had no idea! I’ve always just thought fish, as you mentioned it’s what we’re taught isn’t it haha. I love walnuts too – they’re one of my favourites!
Had no idea you could find Omega 3 in all these seeds! I won’t take much persuading to buy in industrial quantities of walnuts…
Really interesting post, thanks for sharing!
I use flax and Chia but you’ve taught me some others
This is great advice. You’re right, everyone and their mother worries about whether or not we’re getting enough protein the second that we start to cut back on our meat intake. However, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anyone else address Omega 3 sources.
This is such a great and informative post! I love chia seeds, I usually put them in my smoothie. And I also love to snack on almonds and have salmon for dinner. We usually have it at least once a week!
this is a great list! we especially like chia seeds. Adding some to our waters and letting it soak over night so we can drink it in the morning is great
http://honeycombee.com/
Looks amazing!
– http://www.christinacenci.com
Oooh! Omega 3 is so good for you! I need to do a better job of incorporating more of it into my daily diet. I like that there are some plant-based options. I LOVE chia seeds! Flax seed is so good for you too. I really like the nut and seed mix! Have a great weekend!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me