Omega-3 fatty acids are well-known nutrients that have multiple health benefits. Most consider that fish and seafood, in general, is the best source of omega-3, and though that is true, these aren’t the only omega-3 sources. Omega-3 is also found in plants in considerable quantities, which comes in handy if you follow a vegan diet.
Walnuts
Walnuts are an excellent omega-3 source, and you can easily incorporate them into your daily diet. The simplest way to have walnuts is to have them as a snack, but you can also use them in your cooking, salads, smoothies, or sweets.
They are delightful brain-shaped nuts that provide an abundance of nutrients. In a single cup of walnuts, there is about 2,500 mg. of omega-3, which is almost double what you need in a day. So ensure you have half a cup of walnuts daily to meet your omega-3 needs.
Walnuts have been around forever, so it goes without saying that they are well-known and popular. Walnuts are very common; you can get them anywhere at affordable prices. However, they are a strong allergen, so make sure you don’t have any allergies before you have them.
Chia Seed
Chia seed is another noble superfood that has shown time and time again that good things can come in tiny packages. Chia seeds are small black seeds that enlarge when they are soaked in water, and this feature makes chia seeds a very popular base for vegan puddings.
You can also use them in healthy smoothies, sprinkle some on your food while cooking or mix them with seeds and have them as a snack. They are neutral in taste, so you will have them purely for their health benefits. When using chia seeds, you need to give them flavor, so depending on what you need them for, make sure you add some kind of flavoring agent, or they will be bland.
Chia seeds contain an insane amount of omega-3, i.e., a tablespoon containing about 2,000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. This means that one tablespoon of chia can exceed your daily intake of omega-3.
Chia seeds are becoming increasingly popular, with the rise of awareness of the importance of healthy food. Chia seeds are available at most regular stores and stores specializing in healthy food. They usually come in 100 gr—easily affordable packs. You can also order them from most online shops.
Nevertheless, it was, sadly, underestimated until a while ago.
Canola Oil
Canola oil is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. If you are looking for a tasteless kind of oil filled with omega-3, opt for canola oil. Canola oil comes from the canola plant, and it is an excellent neutral oil you can use in your food without it influencing its taste.
However, to use the omega-3 fatty acids in canola oil, it is crucial not to have it with processed food. Even plant-based processed food is high in fats which suffocates the omega-3 fatty acids in the canola oil. Therefore, use your canola oil for salads or cooking fresh foods, and don’t use it with already processed food items or microwavable meals.
Canola oil has 9-11% of omega-3 fatty acids, or in other words, a teaspoon of canola oil will give you a staggering amount of 1279 mg. of omega-3. Considering that the daily intake of omega-3 is 1,100 mg for women and 1,600 mg for men, a teaspoon and a half of canola oil is all you need to meet your daily omega-3 needs.
Canola oil is easy to find online or in stores, and its price varies from $15 to $20. It is a popular cooking and salad oil.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is a superfood that still hasn’t been fully recognized for its power. These are very small brown-colored tear-shaped seeds with many uses, and it is borderline miraculous how much is packed in one tiny seed.
You can use flaxseed in salads, sprinkle them on your food while cooking, pop them in the coffee mill and turn them into powder, or mix them with seeds and turn them into a snack. Among the other nutrients they offer, flaxseeds are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.
The best thing is to add them wherever you want and not worry about lacking omega-3 in your daily diet. A tablespoon of flaxseed contains about 700 ml. of omega-3, meaning that you need about one and a half to two tablespoons of flaxseed daily to reach your daily omega-3 dose.
Flaxseed is very easy to find, as they are a part of the assortment of most stores. They are pretty cheap; you can easily get them for a few dollars. You can also find them at healthy food stores or order them online.
Kidney Beans
Kidney beans are yet tiny treasures bursting with nutrients and a good source of omega-3. A cup of uncooked kidney beans contains about 210 mg. of omega-3. For a decent meal, you will surely be using at least two or three cups of kidney beans, which brings the number to around 600-700 mg. of omega-3 per meal.
Now, you may not get your daily dose of omega-3 from a single meal containing kidney beans, but you will surely get a good amount you can easily supplement with another omega-3-rich food from this list.
You can use kidney beans in countless ways, from boiled beans to baked beans, bean salad, or bean muffins. They are easy to get at any store or open market and are pretty cheap to buy.
Brussel Sprouts
Brussel sprouts are best described as tiny cabbages, smaller than a golf ball; however, these small but potent veggies bring a lot to the table. In addition to being a great vegan protein source of dietary fiber, Brussels sprouts are also an excellent source of omega-3.
They are highly versatile, so you can have them roasted, grilled, or fried, alone or along with other veggies and seeds. They are very delicious and soft when cooked, crispy, and zingy when raw. In addition to cooking, you can also have Brussels sprouts in a salad.
However, if you have Brussels sprouts for the omega-3 fatty acids, you should have them cooked, as they contain much more omega-3 that way. While half a cup of raw Brussels sprouts contains 44 mg of omega-3, the same amount cooked contains 135 omega-3.
Considering that Brussels sprouts are tiny, you will have a lot more than half a cup per meal. The usual Brussels sprouts serving is about four cups per person, which gives you about 1,100 mg of omega-3 in a single Brussels sprouts meal.
Brussels sprouts have been established on the market for a long time, so you can find them for affordable prices in any store or farmer’s market. You can get them both frozen and fresh, and they are a very popular vegetable and a frequent meal in many households.
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Resources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-canola-oil-healthy#downsides
https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/omega-3
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-plant-sources-of-omega-3s