This week’s Nutrition Diva podcast talks about the recommended intake of omega 6 fats. How much is enough? How much is too much?
Here’s a guide to the omega-6 and omega-3 content of a variety of healthy foods. Click on any column to sort the list by that value.
Want a food added to the table? Add your request in the comment section and I’ll do my best to add it.
| Food | Serving | Grams | Total Fat (g) | Total PUFA (g) | O-6 | O-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazilnuts | 1/4 cup | 33 | 22 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| Canola oil | 1 Tbsp | 14 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Chia seeds | 1 Tbsp | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Corn oil | 1 Tbsp | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| Flaxseeds | 1 Tbsp | 11 | 4 | 3 | 0.5 | 2.5 |
| Grapeseed oil | 1 Tbsp | 14 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Hemp hearts | 1 Tbsp | 10 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Peanut butter | 2 Tbsp | 32 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Pecans | 1/4 cup | 25 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Pinenuts | 1/4 cup | 34 | 23 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| Pumpkin seeds | 1 Tbsp | 32 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| Rice bran oil | 1 Tbsp | 14 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Salmon, cooked | 3 oz | 85 | 7 | 3 | 0.5 | 2 |
| Sesame seeds | 1 Tbsp | 9 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Sunflower seeds | 1 Tbsp | 36 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Tofu, firm | 3 oz | 85 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Tuna, white | 3 oz | 85 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Walnuts | 1/4 cup | 30 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 3 |
I would be very curious how olive oil stacks up if you wouldn’t mind providing that data. If canola oil has a better 3 to 6 ratio, it’s interesting that it’s overshadowed by olive oil in perceived health benefits.
Olive oil is favored because it’s high in MONOunsaturated fats. Only a small portion (about 10%) of the fat in olive oil is POLYunsaturated and of that it’s mostly omega-6. More details (and another nifty chart) in this post: https://nutritionovereasy.com/2015/11/which-oil-is-best/
Gotcha. Thank you Monica! I appreciate the other link you provided; that’s very helpful.
Do we actually get the O-6 from whole chia or flax seeds, or do they have to be ground to meal to count?
Flax (but not chia) do have a somewhat digestion resistant outer shell. To prevent them from passing through undigested, you can grind them or you can just chew them!