Eat More Omega-3s
Increase omega-3 intake with appropriate food sources before treating supplements as the default.
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What to do
If you eat seafood, plan about two fish meals a week and rotate among salmon, sardines, trout, herring, and Atlantic mackerel. Follow current local advice on lower-mercury choices, especially during pregnancy.
If you don't eat fish, include ALA-rich foods most days: ground flax or chia at breakfast, walnuts as a snack, or soy foods in meals. If you avoid all animal foods, you can discuss an algae-derived DHA/EPA supplement with a clinician or dietitian.
A simple plan
Choose the version that matches how you eat.
If you eat fish: list the fish you already like and pick two meals for the coming week. Fatty fish provide more EPA and DHA than many lean fish, and fresh, frozen, and canned all work. Rotate species rather than eating the same fish every day.
If you don't eat fish: choose a daily ALA anchor. Add one to two tablespoons of ground flax or chia to oats or yogurt, snack on walnuts, and use soy foods or canola oil when they fit. Whole flax often passes through undigested, so ground flax is more useful.
If you're considering a supplement: identify the reason first. A general dietary gap, pregnancy, very high triglycerides, and a clinician-prescribed cardiovascular treatment are different situations. Read the EPA and DHA amounts, not the total "fish oil" weight. Check product testing and discuss dose, interactions, and alternatives with a clinician or pharmacist. Algae oil is a non-fish option.
Try the food plan for four weeks and make it repeatable with a shopping-list default, a canned backup, or a recurring meal.
How to know it is working
What to expect
If you get stuck
Make it last
Attach omega-3 foods to meals that already happen, such as a fixed weekly fish dinner or ground flax in the same breakfast, with canned fish as backup. Store ground flax and chia properly and discard anything that smells rancid. If household members eat differently, use separate sources rather than making one meal carry the whole plan.
Review seafood choices periodically, since price, sustainability, availability, and advisories change. Mixing frozen, canned, and fresh fish can cut cost. If you take a supplement, record the product, the EPA and DHA amounts, and the reason, and don't stack several oils without noticing the total. Revisit the need when medications change, in pregnancy, or before surgery. A steady, safe source pattern is the goal; don't chase the highest omega-3 index or ignore the rest of the diet.
