Omega-3s are good food for good health, but it's difficult to get enough of them in a vegetarian diet. Flaxseed is my favourite way.
On my last trip to the grocery store, I noticed there seem to be new Omega-3 products popping everywhere!
If you're not familiar with omega-3 fats, they're part of a group of fats that are essential, meaning we must consume them in the diet because our bodies can't make them. Omega-3s come in many forms (including both plant and animal sources) and are the current “functional food" of choice for both the nutrition and food industries.
Omega-3s are of particular concern to vegetarians. It's not that vegetarians are more likely to be deficient than those who eat fish (some fish are extremely high in omega-3s, which explains the fuss about salmon lately) but that it's harder for non-fish eaters to consume enough omega-3s to see health benefits beyond preventing deficiency.
By far the highest sources of vegetarian omega-3s are flaxseed (ground, so your body can access the fats) and flaxseed oil. But apparently, not many people find that convenient! Luckily, there are a slew of new products on the shelves incorporating omega-3s into more common foods.
The first fortified food I saw several years ago was omega-3 eggs. Eggs contain a little bit of omega-3 in a very usable form, called DHA. DHA is only found in animal products. Farmers feed their egg-laying hens flaxseed (a less bioavailable source of omega-3) which the chickens convert to DHA. The chickens pass along the DHA to their eggs, which we can eat and reap the benefits!
Next, omega-3 cheese and milk popped up. I thought cows must be eating flaxseed too – cows are herbivores, right?
They are, but unfortunately omega-3 milk and cheese are not. I'll spare the scientific mumbo-jumbo, but these cows are being fed fish. That's not very vegetarian!
Plant-sourced omega-3 fortification luckily seems to be more common. I've seen omega-3 fortified cereals, snack food, and salad dressings. Usually this fortification is done with flax, but smaller amounts are also available in soy, canola, walnut, and olive oil. I'm all for these other sources - but flax itself will give you the most bang for your buck.
My favourite ways to incorporate flax are to sprinkle a few tablespoons onto my oatmeal or mixed into a morning smoothie. It's great stirred into yogurt as well, and adds a pleasant crunch to rice dishes and salads. Just don't forget that ground flax is an excellent source of fibre – some may need to increase the amount in their diet slowly, before including it “regularly”.
