Omega-3 Foods: Chart per 100 g

One caveat up front: this column shows total omega-3 and does not separate the forms. Flaxseed, walnuts and rapeseed oil deliver alpha-linolenic acid (ALA); oily sea fish delivers EPA and DHA. They are not the same thing.

The body can convert ALA into EPA and DHA, but only to a small extent – a few percent for EPA, less for DHA. A high ALA value therefore does not replace fish, and flaxseed sitting above salmon in the chart does not mean flaxseed does more.

German guidance gives 0.5 percent of energy intake as alpha-linolenic acid, calculated here as 1.5 g per day. There is no separate German reference for EPA and DHA; EFSA gives 250 mg per day as an adequate intake.

#	Food	Omega-3 per 100 g	Share of daily reference	Category	Source
1	Flaxseed	22.81 g	1,521 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
2	Chia seeds	17.83 g	1,189 %	Other	USDA
3	Hemp seeds	9.18 g	612 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
4	Walnuts	9.08 g	605 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
5	Caviar	6.8 g	453 %	Chilled	USDA
6	Mackerel	2.67 g	178 %	Meat & fish	USDA
7	Salmon	2.59 g	172 %	Meat & fish	BLS
8	Wild salmon	2.02 g	135 %	Meat & fish	USDA
9	Herring	1.73 g	115 %	Meat & fish	USDA
10	Sardines	1.48 g	99 %	Meat & fish	USDA
11	Hummus	1.45 g	97 %	Chilled	USDA
12	Soy flour	1.38 g	92 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
13	Soybeans	1.33 g	89 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
14	Trout	1.07 g	71 %	Meat & fish	USDA
15	Pecan nuts	0.99 g	66 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
16	Tofu	0.67 g	44 %	Chilled	USDA
17	Muesli	0.61 g	41 %	Dry goods & tinned	–
18	Poppy seeds	0.55 g	36 %	Other	USDA
19	Octopus	0.53 g	35 %	Meat & fish	–
20	Mussels	0.45 g	30 %	Meat & fish	USDA
21	Pollock	0.44 g	30 %	Meat & fish	USDA
22	Tahini	0.42 g	28 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
23	Paneer	0.4 g	27 %	Dairy	–
24	Gouda	0.39 g	26 %	Dairy	USDA
25	Kale	0.38 g	25 %	Fruit & vegetables	USDA
26	Sesame	0.38 g	25 %	Other	USDA
27	Mozzarella	0.37 g	25 %	Dairy	USDA
28	Edamame	0.36 g	24 %	Frozen	USDA
29	Kidney beans	0.36 g	24 %	Other	USDA
30	Soy milk	0.33 g	22 %	Drinks	USDA
31	Quinoa	0.31 g	20 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
32	Wild rice	0.3 g	20 %	Other	USDA
33	Parmesan	0.3 g	20 %	Chilled	USDA
34	Bacon	0.28 g	19 %	Meat & fish	–
35	Black beans	0.28 g	19 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
36	Feta	0.27 g	18 %	Other	USDA
37	smoked tofu	0.26 g	17 %	Other	–
38	Blue cheese	0.26 g	17 %	Dairy	USDA
39	Avocado	0.25 g	17 %	Fruit & vegetables	USDA
40	Pistachios	0.25 g	17 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
41	Red lentils	0.25 g	17 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
42	Tempeh	0.25 g	17 %	Chilled	USDA
43	Lentil pasta	0.22 g	15 %	Other	–
44	Macadamia nuts	0.21 g	14 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
45	Cod	0.2 g	13 %	Meat & fish	USDA
46	Camembert	0.18 g	12 %	Dairy	USDA
47	Cream	0.18 g	12 %	Other	BLS
48	Provolone	0.17 g	12 %	Dairy & cheese	BLS
49	90% dark chocolate	0.17 g	11 %	Sweets	USDA
50	Sour Cream	0.17 g	11 %	Other	USDA

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High values, small amounts

These ingredients score very high per 100 g but are eaten by the teaspoon, not by the plate. That is why they are not in the chart above. The right-hand column shows what a usual amount actually contributes.

Ingredient	per 100 g	usual amount	in that amount
Flaxseed oil	97.86 g	10 g	9.786 g
Canola oil	18.27 g	10 g	1.827 g
Oil	14.9 g	10 g	1.49 g
Mayonnaise	9.7 g	15 g	1.455 g
Pesto	3.73 g	20 g	0.746 g
Vegan butter or margarine	2.3 g	10 g	0.23 g

What can be stated, and what cannot

Established: DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal brain function and normal vision (from 250 mg daily); EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function (from 250 mg daily); alpha-linolenic acid contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels (from 2 g daily). Broader claims about omega-3 are common but not equally well supported.

How much of it adds up across your week?

Up-Food calculates over 30 nutrients from the real ingredient amounts in your weekly plan – using the same verified values you see in this chart.

See the weekly plan

Frequently Asked Questions

Which foods are high in omega-3?

Flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, linseed oil and rapeseed oil are rich in ALA. Salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines supply EPA and DHA – fewer grams, but in the form the body uses directly.

Can flaxseed replace fish?

Not for EPA and DHA. Conversion of ALA to EPA runs in the low single-digit percentages and to DHA lower still. Without fish, algae oil is the plant source that bypasses the conversion.

How much omega-3 per day?

German guidance gives 0.5 percent of energy as ALA – about 1.1 g at 2,000 kcal. EFSA adds 250 mg of EPA plus DHA as an adequate intake for adults.

Why does the chart not split ALA from EPA/DHA?

Because our ingredient data holds only the total. We say so rather than hiding it – adding the breakdown is on our list.

References

The figures in the chart come from the nutrient databases named below. The statements in the running text on this page rest on the following work:

Abdelhamid AS et al.: Omega-3 fatty acids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2020. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003177.pub5

Where these numbers come from

All values come from the Up-Food ingredient database: 370 foods, with values from USDA FoodData Central or the German Federal Food Code (BLS). Every row names its source. Daily reference intakes are the D-A-CH reference values of the German Nutrition Society. Data as of 2026-09-19.

What this chart is not
A nutrient chart is a set of measurements, not dietary advice and not medical information. Whether someone is actually short of a nutrient shows in a blood test, not in a list. For symptoms, or before taking supplements, a doctor is the right address.