Health Topicsdiet nutritiondietsAll about you: getting more better-for-you fats

All about you: getting more better-for-you fats

Written by Michael Gollust. Medically reviewed in May 2023 by Ann Wendling, MD, MPH.

Corn oil, margarine, steak . . . if these items make a regular appearance in your diet, you may need more "3s."

That's omega-3s—found in foods like fatty fish, peanuts, and flaxseeds. Your body needs them to balance out the omega-6s in foods like red meat and certain vegetable oils.

Balancing act

Omega-3s and omega-6s are both healthy, unsaturated fats. (How can you know how much you're getting of each? Check out this video.) But omega-3s are considered healthiest. Besides keeping your arteries clear, omega-3s boost your immunity. And the right 3s-to-6s dietary ratio is important; it helps keep health-hampering inflammation in check.

Read this article to learn how striking the right balance between 3s and 6s may help thwart metabolic syndrome.

Super "3" sources

You can boost your intake of heart-healthy omega-3s by eating more of these foods:

  • Flaxseeds or flaxseed oil
  • Walnuts
  • Oily fish, such as cod, halibut, and trout
  • Omega-3-enriched eggs or margarines—check labels

More On

Why is Protein So Important for a Vegetarian Diet?

video

Why is Protein So Important for a Vegetarian Diet?
For vegetarians, it's important to include protein in each meal, and plan ahead so that it's available to you throughout the day. In this video, nutri...
4 surprising sources of calcium

article

4 surprising sources of calcium
If you can't or don't eat dairy foods, you can still get healthy amounts of calcium from other foods and drink. Here's how.
The best (and worst) fats for your body

slideshow

The best (and worst) fats for your body
Protect your heart health—and much more—by choosing the right fatty foods.
Why is there such a focus on eating protein, especially animal protein, to the exclusion of a variety of other nutrients in food?

video

Why is there such a focus on eating protein, especially animal protein, to the exclusion of a variety of other nutrients in food?
Why is there such a focus on eating protein, especially animal protein, to the exclusion of a variety of other nutrients in food? Can enough protein ...
What foods can help boost my memory?

video

What foods can help boost my memory?
Believe it or not, eating fats helps keep your brain healthy and improves memory. But your mind needs the right kind of fats. Registered dietitian Sam...