Omega-3 Rich Recipes For Every Meal

What should I cook for dinner today? That’s the question you ask yourself when having to make meals for the family. But from a standpoint of making nutritional meals, there is one nutrient that all members of your family need – Omega-3, a fatty acid.

The human body cannot make this essential fat on its own.[1] As such, meals made from ingredients that contain Omega-3 are instrumental to our health as these fatty acids can lower the risk of stroke and heart disease.[2],[3]

Good sources of Omega-3 or DHA, an essential Omega-3 fat, are easily available in any neighbourhood wet market or supermarket, and include oily fish, grains and nuts enriched with Omega-3 and milk with DHA. Here are some everyday meal plans for your family which include DHA-rich foods:

 

Breakfast: Milk with DHA is a perfect drink for your children as fat is needed for the body to function well and it is a great source of energy for any long school day.[4] The calcium in milk also keeps their young bones strong.[5] Try making these hot breakfast pancakes with milk that has DHA.

 

Lunch: Easy Waldorf salad with tuna[6],[7],[8]

Mix together these ingredients in a salad before you head off for work:

  • 1 can of tuna, preferably canned in fresh water
  • 2 sticks of celery, chopped into fine slices
  • 1 carton of fat-free yoghurt
  • A handful of grapes, sliced in halves, apple cubes or your favourite fruit
  • A fistful of Omega-3 rich walnuts[9]
  • The juice of a ¼ to ½ a lemon to your preferred level of sourness
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • A little milk with DHA if you prefer a thinner dressing

This Waldorf salad with tuna will also help you get a healthy serving of fish.[10],[11],[12] You should aim to nourish your family with two servings of fish each week.[13]

 

Tea: Make these chocolate pudding pops and passion fruit ice lollies with Omega-3 milk with your hungry children for a fun family activity.

 

Dinner: Creamy salmon pasta

Omega-3 is also found in fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel.[14] For an easy dinner, prepare these ingredients:

  • 1 salmon fillet or 100 grams of salmon
  • ½ clove of garlic
  • ½ cup of milk with DHA
  • Olive oil for cooking
  • A handful of chopped parsley
  • 75 grams of low-fat cream cheese
  • 1 cup or 1 serving of pasta, preferably whole-grain
  • ½ teaspoon of pine nuts (optional)

 

After assembling the ingredients:

  1. Boil the pasta until al dente
  2. Separately, pan-fry the salmon fillet in olive oil and set atop your cooked pasta
  3. Gently heat chopped garlic, cream cheese and Omega-3 milk in another saucepan until the cheese has melted.
  4. Drizzle the mixture over your salmon and pasta
  5. Sprinkle the pine nuts and parsley over the dish
  6. Serve a sumptuous dinner full of taste, goodness and a whole lot of DHA![15],[16],[17]

 

Sources

[1] http://www.healthhub.sg/sites/assets/Assets/Categories/Chronic%20Illness/FatMattersEnglish.pdf (“Fat is a source of essential fats (such as Omega-3 and Omega-6) which cannot be made in the body and must be obtained through food.”)

[2] http://www.healthhub.sg/sites/assets/Assets/Programs/shophealthy_recipes/teriyaki_salmon_and_pasta.pdf

[3] http://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/diseases-and-conditions/52/highbloodcholesterol (“Some oily fish such as sardine, salmon, mackerel and herring also contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fat called Omega-3 fatty acids, which makes blood clot less easily and reduces the risk of stroke.”)

[4] http://www.healthhub.sg/sites/assets/Assets/Categories/Chronic%20Illness/FatMattersEnglish.pdf (“Do we need fat? Yes. Our body needs some fat to function properly […] Fat is a good source of energy.”)

[5] http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/2834 (“Everybody knows that calcium helps build strong bones and teeth […] Getting enough calcium is important regardless of how young or how old you are. Calcium helps build up bone from childhood right up to the age of 30 years, making them denser and stronger.”)

[6] http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/waldorf-salad/#0UKEzJ322c5SKq09.97

[7] http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-chickpea-waldorf-salad-lunch-recipes-from-the-kitchn-207603

[8] http://www.runningtothekitchen.com/healthy-tuna-waldorf-salad/

[9] http://www.healthxchange.com.sg/healthyliving/DietandNutrition/Pages/5-Reasons-Why-Women-Need-Omega-3.aspx (“Well, you don’t have to eat the same fish three times a week. The foods listed below are also good sources of Omega-3: Fish & seafood: Wild salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna, scallops, krill; Nuts: Walnuts, Brazil nuts and soy nuts; Plants: Algae, flaxseeds or flaxseed oil, cauliflower, hummus, collard greens”)

[10] http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/HPB064355 (“Oily fish such tuna, mackerel, tenggiri batang and ikan tenggiri papan also contain Omega-3 fatty acids, a beneficial fat that supports overall heart health”)

[11] http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/your-Omega-3-family-shopping-list

[12] http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/2740 (“However you can also get DHA from plant sources including a wide variety of nuts and seeds such as walnuts and flaxseed.” http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/HPB064355)

[13] (“Oily fish such tuna, mackerel, tenggiri batang and ikan tenggiri papan also contain Omega-3 fatty acids, a beneficial fat that supports overall heart health. Aim for 2 servings of fish a week.”)

[14] http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/persona_article/OlderAdult___2860 (“Fish such as salmon, sardine, longtail shad (terubok) and Spanish mackerel (tenggiri papan) are examples of good sources of Omega-3 fat”)

[15] http://www.healthhub.sg/sites/assets/Assets/Programs/shophealthy_recipes/teriyaki_salmon_and_pasta.pdf

[16] http://allrecipes.com/recipe/212737/grilled-salmon-with-creamy-pesto-sauce/

[17] http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/creamypastawithsalmo_79948

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