Omega 3 Foods: Four Great Recipes

Omega 3 fatty acids are critical to brain health. Our brains are made up primarily of fat and much of that fat is of the Omega 3 variety. Omega 3 fatty acids are critical to health health as well and help us fight inflammation. We should incorporate these foods into our diets.

The United States Department of Agriculture compiles a database of the nutrient content of foods, including Omega 3 fatty acids. At the top of the USDA list are the following foods:

• Salmon


• Cisco


• Herring


• Sardine


• Anchovy


• Sablefish


• Oyster


• Whitefish


• Tuna


• Halibut

Fish and seafood are abundant sources of Omega 3 fatty acid and should be a key part of our diet. Incorporate a few of the simple recipes below.

Tuna or Salmon Salad
A long-time favorite for convenience and flavor, the tuna sandwich includes Omega 3 fatty acids as well. Make salmon salad as you would tuna: open the can of salmon (remove the larger bones, a factor that does not come into play with the tuna), put the salmon in a bowl and separate it as you do with tuna. Add mayonnaise to taste and finely chopped dill pickle and onion if desired. Eat with cracklers, as a sandwich, or enjoy on top of a bed of green lettuce.

Toasted Sardine Canapes
Start with finger-sized pieces of stale bread and have them ready to toast. For each piece of bread, prepare a sardine. Dip a sardine in melted butter and then role it in a mixture of equal parts cooked ham finely chopped, fine bread crumbs, and grated cheese. Place the sardine on the toast and broil until very hot. Serve garnished with parsley.

Baked Oysters
Arrange 24 oysters on the half shell on rock salt in a dripping pan and bake at 350 degrees until the edges begin to curl.

Cover the oysters in a sauce made with three tablespoons of melted butter mixed with one tablespoon lemon juice, a few drops of Tabasco sauce, one teaspoon of fresh copped parsley, and paprika to taste.

Broiled Halibut
Brush a slide of halibut with melted butter. Broil until brown on one side, turn and brown on the other side. At the same time, broil green peppers, halved with seeds removed. Remove to a hot platter and surround with potato balls and spread with piquante butter.

For the piquante butter, cream four tablespoons of butter and add one tablespoon of chopped pickle, one teaspoon of chopped parsley, granulated onion, one-half tablespoon of lemon juice, and a splash of cayenne.

Omega 3s Over the Life Cycle
Omega 3 fatty acids are critical for a developing baby. As the brain is forming, Omega 3s are a key building block. As we age, diseases of the brain are associated with low levels of Omega 3. From birth until death, this is a critical nutrient for our health. We must seek to add more Omega 3-rich recipes to our diet.


Alexander V. Martin enjoys whole foods, particularly those rich in Omega 3 for depression and fish oil for depression. Omega 3 is one of the powerful natural remedies for depression.