Grilled Mediteranian Pitas with Baba Ghannouj
- 4 pitas
- 250 mL (1 cup) Fontaine Santé Baba Gannouj
- 80 mL (1/3 cup) olive oil
- 45 mL (3 tbsp) finely chopped dried tomatoes
- 30 mL (2 tbsp) finely chopped black olives
- 10 mL (2 tsp) dried oregano...
Omega-3s: a source of good fat!
2012-02-01Often maligned as the cause of all our ills, fat definitely gets a bad rap. And yet some fats, such as the omega-3 fatty acids, are essential to good health. In recent years, there has been a great deal of interest in these fats, since they have been found to have numerous benefits for the cardiovascular and endocrine systems as well as the brain.
Fats fall into two categories: saturated fats, often associated with higher levels of blood cholesterol, and unsaturated fats, needed by the body to function properly. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered polyunsaturated: they contribute to lowering cholesterol and prevent the blood from becoming sticky and coagulating, which in turn reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Many vegetable oils (soy, corn and sunflower oil), fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, smelts, herring and trout), fish oils, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, soy and some types of nuts (in particular, walnuts) contain high levels of polyunsaturated fats. Since our body is unable to produce them, we have to eat them to meet our daily requirements.
Among the omega-3s, only alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is considered “essential.” The body can synthesize other omega-3 fatty acids from ALA, which is found in high concentrations in flaxseeds, flaxseed and hemp oil, as well as in canola and soy oil.
Health Canada has established the recommended daily intake for ALA at 1.1 g for women and 1.6 g for men.
Here are some dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids:
|
Foods |
Total quantities (g) |
ALA (g) |
EPA1 (g) |
DHA2 (g) |
|
Atlantic salmon, cooked (75 g or 2½ oz) |
1. 70 |
0. 09 |
0. 52 |
1. 09 |
|
Smoked herring (75 g or 2½ oz) |
1. 72 |
0. 11 |
0. 73 |
0. 88 |
|
Sardines in oil, drained (75 g or 2½ oz) |
1. 11 |
0. 37 |
0. 36 |
0. 38 |
|
Bluefin tuna, fresh, baked (75 g or 2½ oz) |
1. 13 |
0. 00 |
0. 27 |
0. 86 |
|
Atlantic mackerel, baked (75 g or 2½ oz) |
0. 99 |
0. 09 |
0. 38 |
0. 52 |
|
Rainbow trout, baked (75 g or 2½ oz) |
0. 93 |
0. 06 |
0. 25 |
0. 62 |
|
Chopped walnuts (60 mL or 30 g) |
2. 69 |
2. 69 |
0. 00 |
0. 00 |
|
Ground flaxseed (10 mL or 2 tsp) |
1. 09 |
1. 09 |
0. 00 |
0. 00 |
|
Flaxseed oil (15 mL or 3 tsp) |
7. 74 |
7. 74 |
0. 00 |
0. 00 |
|
Canola oil (15 mL or 3 tsp) |
1. 32 |
1. 32 |
0. 00 |
0. 00 |
|
Soy oil (15 ml or 3 tsp) |
0. 94 |
0. 94 |
0. 00 |
0. 00 |
|
Becel Omega3 plus™(margarine, 2 tsp) |
0. 60 |
0. 55 |
0. 05 |
0. 05 |
|
Omega-3 egg, in shell (50 g or 1 egg) |
0. 40 |
0. 31 |
0. 01 |
0. 08 |
|
Natrel™ omega-3 dairy beverage (250 mL or 1 c) |
0. 30 |
0. 30 |
0. 00 |
0. 00 |
Fontaine Santé uses canola oil in all of its salads, a delicious way to add omega-3s to your diet. Fresh and varied, Fontaine Santé salads as the perfect complement to a wide variety of meals.
1 Eicosapentaenoic acid
2 Docosahexaenoic acid
Sources and sites consulted:
