Omega 3 Fatty Acids for kids
Omega 3 fatty acids play an important role in nutrition and are especially important for kids. Omega 3 fatty acids are considered an essential fatty acid, meaning that our body cannot produce these fats and they must be provided through the diet.
What are Omega 3 fatty acids?
There are three omega 3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). These fats play a role in brain development and cognition, eye health, heart health and may also have a positive impact on mental health. Omega 3 fatty acids also have anti-inflammatory action which means they may help prevent the development of some chronic diseases. These health benefits are mainly attributed to DHA and EPA. Some ALA can be converted into DHA and EPA in the body but in only very small amounts.
How much do kids need?
Unfortunately, there is not enough evidence to date to support exact requirements for all the omega 3 fatty acids, only recommendations for ALA have been determined. Therefore, it is difficult to give exact numbers to aim for. The good thing, is that I don’t often encourage families to count every gram of a nutrient anyway, so just trying to aim for more omega 3 fats in the diet is a good place to start.
Supplementation may also be warranted if increasing omega 3 fats in your kids diet is a bit of a struggle. There are many options to choose from, even for kids. Most omega 3 supplements use fish oils as the main source of DHA and EPA. However, if you prefer a vegan source for your child, a supplement of algae oil is a good option as it is a plant based source of DHA and EPA. The main thing to remember when looking for a supplement, is to ensure it has an Natural Product Number (NPN). The NPN indicates that the product is licensed, has been assessed by Health Canada and has been found to be of high quality, effective and safe.
Food sources of Omega 3 Fatty Acids
DHA and EPA are mostly found in fish, however fatty fish tend to have the highest amount of these omega 3 fatty acids. The fish with the highest amount of these fats includes salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and arctic char.
ALA can be found in walnuts, seeds such as flax, hemp and chia seeds, soy products, and some plant based oils such as soybean, canola, flax and walnut oils.
How can you incorporate these foods into your kids meals and snacks to bump up omega 3 intake?
To increase your kids intake of omega 3 fatty acids try to include fish in your meals at least twice per week. Fish can sometimes be a hard sell for kiddos, be inventive and creative with how you offer it. It doesn’t need to take too much extra time or effort either. Try using canned salmon or canned tuna to make fish cakes, for sandwiches or to throw into a pasta dish. Check out my Salmon Cakes recipe to add more omega 3’s to you kids meals. Offering fish breaded and with a dip can help too. Sometimes it takes a few tries before kids take to new flavours. Don’t be discouraged if a fish dish isn’t too popular at first, continue to offer it and you may be surprised when they eventually take a bite. You can also increase omega 3 intake with fortified foods such as eggs.
To increase intake of ALA, offer nuts and seeds more often, add them to cereal, oatmeal, homemade cookies and trail mix. Add hemp seeds, chia seeds and flax to baked goods and try making chia pudding or chia jam. Offer tofu or tempeh in place of meat.
While it might seem impossible to increase your kids intake of omega 3 fatty acids in order to reap their benefits, adding in just a few foods can make a difference.