12 Fish-Free for Life: Why Plant Omega-3s are Better for You and the Environment

fats, trans fats and omega-6 fats are kept in Plant sources of EFAs
check. Monounsaturated fats are also found

in nuts, peanuts, olives and olive oil, avocados
100 grams of: Omega-3 ALA (grams) Omega-6 grams LA (grams)
and rapeseed oil.
It doesn’t matter how efficiently you convert Oils
ALA if you don’t eat enough of it! Working on Flaxseed (linseed) oil 53.30 12.70
the WHO’s recommendation of 1-2 per cent Hempseed oil* 20.00 60.00
in the diet, a woman consuming an average of
Walnut oil 10.40 52.90
1,940 calories per day needs between 2.2 to
Rapeseed (canola) oil 9.13 18.64
4.3 grams of omega-3 fats per day and for men
Wheatgerm oil 6.90 54.80
with a 2,550 calorie intake, it is 2.8 to 5.7 grams
Soya oil 6.79 50.42
per day (see table, page 8).
Corn oil 1.16 53.23
Sunflower oil 0.00 65.70
Good sources include ground flaxseeds,
Nuts and seeds
hempseeds, rapeseeds and their oils, walnuts,
Flaxseeds (linseeds) ground, 2 tbsp 22.81 5.90
soya beans and products made from them
Walnuts 9.08 38.09
(such as tofu), green leafy vegetables and
some species of algae, which may also contain
Hempseeds* 7.50 22.50
EPA and DHA. You can also buy blended plant
Vegetables, Fruits and Pulses
oils in health stores that supply omega-3, -6
Soya beans, cooked 0.60 4.47
and -9 fatty acids in the ideal balance (eg Udo’s
Tofu, firm 0.58 4.34
Choice Ultimate Oil Blend, or Well-Oiled –
Broccoli (cooked) 0.11 0.05
available from the V VF shop). The table Soya milk 0.08 0.59
on page 9 should meet most Strawberries 0.07 0.09
people’s ALA needs. Peas (frozen and cooked) 0.02 0.08
Omega-3s from algae
Fish obtain their
Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2008. * Adapted from Leizer et al., 2000,
omega-3s from
Journal of Nutraceuticals, Functional and Medical Foods. 2 (4) 35-53.
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