When we think of Omega-3s, most of us think of how they are great for us and the easiest way to get them is by eating fish or other seafood. While this is very true, not everyone loves fish or seafood, myself included, so I wanted to share a few ideas on how to still get all the benefits of Omega-3s without the fishy flavor.

Before we get to that, I wanted to just touch on really quickly why Omega-3s are so important. What’s the big deal anyway? Here just five of the top health benefits of Omega-3s:

1. Omega-3s can fight depression and anxiety. People who consume Omega-3s regularly are less likely to be depressed. In fact, when people who have anxiety or depression start taking Omega-3 supplements, their symptoms improve.
2. Omega-3s can improve eye health. DHA, which is a type of Omega-3, is a major structural component of the retina of your eye. When you don’t get enough DHA, vision problems could arise.
3. People who eat seafood at least once a week are less likely to die of heart disease than those who rarely or never eat seafood. This is because the Omega-3s can cause a major reduction in triglycerides, can reduce blood pressure, they can raise good cholesterol, they can prevent plaque from restricting your arteries, and they can reduce inflammation.
4. EPA and DHA, the types of Omega-3s found in seafood and fish oil, may be helpful in relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
5. Omega-3s can reduce symptoms of ADHD in children. Several studies show that children with ADHD have lower blood levels of Omega-3 fatty acids than their peers. These studies actually note that Omega-3 supplements can reduce the symptoms of ADHD.

As you can see, there are many great benefits to getting plenty of Omega-3s in your diet and the easiest way to do that is to eat fish or seafood at least once a week or take a quality fish oil supplement daily. Here are a few other ways you can get plenty of Omega-3s without any fish at all.

FLAXSEED

There’s nearly 1,600 mg of ALA in a mere 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed. Grind those flaxseeds since your body actually cannot access the omega 3s (and other valuable nutrients like fiber and lignans) when the seed is whole. A tip for the best way to get the most nutritional value is to buy whole seeds and grind your flaxseed just before you use it. Once it is ground up, the fats (including the ALAs) in the seeds can easily and quickly go rancid.

OMEGA-3 FORTIFIED MILK

The most common ones you can find at the store are Organic Valley (which adds DHA, EPA, and ALA) and Horizon (adds only DHA). These two are both organic and have the Omega-3s physically added. Organic Valley Grassmilk contains 75-100 mg per cup and Horizon Organic Milk with DHA Omega-3 has 32mg.

OMEGA-3 ENRICHED EGGS

Most eggs have some amount of Omega-3s, but cartons labeled “Omega-3” contain significantly more--around 115-225 mg per enriched egg, compared to about 30 per standard egg. This boost comes from flaxseed that farmer’s add to their hen’s diets.

SIMPLY ESSENTIALS CHICKEN AND BEEF

This brand’s chicken and beef also come from animals fed a flaxseed heavy diet and contain up to 833% more omega-3s than conventional chicken and beef!

GRASS-FED DAIRY

A study comparing grass-fed milks to conventional and organic milks found that grass-fed milks had significantly more omega-3s. Raw grass fed milk contained the most--however, raw milk can be unsafe, so you might look for those benefits in other products like raw, aged, grass-fed milk cheeses.

How do you like to get the all-important Omega-3s in your diet? Do you like seafood or do you try it get Omega-3s in a supplement or other source?