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Question: I really love your blog!! My question is about omega-3′s and my toddler. My son just turned 1 year old and I am not breastfeeding him anymore. I want to know the best way to get omega-3′s in his diet. He will eat small amounts of fish when I make it and I always buy eggs with omega-3s. I have also just started to add some flax seeds to his cereal in the morning. What are you thoughts on flaxseeds for 1 year olds and any suggestions on how to make sure they are getting their omega 3s?
Answer: Great question! Omega-3 fatty acids are important for babies and children because they promote neurological development. Sources of Omega-3s include fatty fish like salmon, halibut, tuna, mackerel, and herring. Buy wild caught fish (Pacific caught salmon is better than Atlantic caught salmon) and don’t consume fish more than twice a week. For children it is best to avoid big fish such as halibut, mackerel and tuna. because they have been found to have higher levels of heavy metals. Wild Alaska salmon is a great choice for kids. Other sources of Omega-3s? Walnuts and flaxseeds are great. Flaxseeds are fragile and can easily turn rancid if they are not chosen carefully and stored well. Whether you are choosing whole flaxseeds or ground flaxseeds, look for those sold in the refrigerated section of your health food store. Once you get them home, keep them stored in your fridge or freezer. They will last for 6 months in your fridge and 1 year in the freezer. Flaxseeds must be ground to be absorbed so don’t give your child whole flaxseeds–they will pass through without providing any brain boosting oils! Flaxseed oil should be cold pressed and kept in the fridge in an opaque container. Barlean’s flaxseed oil can be found in your local Whole Foods store. Never cook with flaxseed or flaxseed oil as it will turn rancid. Like I said…it’s VERY fragile 
Don’t worry about how much to give your kids, but instead focus on bringing these foods into your diet. Numbers only stress people out. Supplementation is an entirely different subject and isn’t really necessary for healthy kids who eat any of the foods listed above. However, if you are dealing with a special circumstance (ADD/ADHD as an example) supplementation would be beneficial. Additionally, if your child refuses to eat any of the food sources listed above, a supplement might help. Nordic Naturals offers some great supplements for kids.
And finally, not only are Omega 3s good for brain development, but they also have been found therapeutic for/protective against: Alzheimer’s disease, angina, asthma, ADD, cancer, depression, eczema, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hyperactivity, inflammation in the body, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and schizophrenia.
Does that make you want to cook salmon tomorrow? Me too.
