Omega-3 (ALA) Rich Vegetarian Foods in India: 28 Foods Ranked (IFCT 2017)
Linseeds, walnuts and mustard seeds come up when vegetarians look for omega-3. This guide ranks 28 foods by alpha-linolenic acid per 100 g using Table 7 (Fatty Acid Profile) of the ICMR-NIN Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017), then shows what a serving we chose holds. It ranks the ALA in the food, not how much the body absorbs or uses, which IFCT does not report.
The short answer
By IFCT 2017, linseeds have the most ALA of the 28 foods here at 12,956 mg per 100 g, then walnuts at 8,710 mg and garden cress seeds at 7,484 mg. Mustard seeds have 3,341 mg and dry brown soybean 1,310 mg. Raw fenugreek leaves have 362 mg, paneer 233 mg and wheat atta 44.93 mg. Whole cow milk has 20.52 mg per 100 g. Our reading: linseeds and walnuts are far ahead per 100 g, but 10 g is a more usual spoonful of seeds, so look at the serving table too.
28 foods ranked by alpha-linolenic acid per 100 g
Each row is one IFCT 2017 Table 7 row (fatty acid profile), the α-Linolenic (C18:3n3) column (code F18D3N3), in mg per 100 g edible portion as listed in the book, mean value as printed. Seeds, nuts, grains and pulses are dry or raw; leaves are raw; milk is as sold. Where IFCT lists several varieties we use one row and name it.
| Food (IFCT 2017 Table 7 row) | Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Linseeds (flaxseed, alsi) (H014) | 12,956 mg |
| Walnut (H021) | 8,710 mg |
| Garden cress, seeds (halim) (H008) | 7,484 mg |
| Mustard seeds (H013) | 3,341 mg |
| Soybean, brown, dry (B024) | 1,310 mg |
| Black gram, whole, dry (whole urad) (B004) | 601 mg |
| Black gram dal, dry (urad dal) (B003) | 566 mg |
| Rajmah, brown, dry (B019) | 552 mg |
| Fenugreek leaves, raw (methi) (C020) | 362 mg |
| Colocasia leaves, green, raw (arbi leaves) (C018) | 335 mg |
| Pumpkin leaves, tender, raw (C030) | 298 mg |
| Amaranth leaves, green, raw (chaulai) (C002) | 247 mg |
| Moth bean, dry (B016) | 240 mg |
| Paneer (L003) | 233 mg |
| Spinach, raw (palak) (C033) | 220 mg |
| Cowpea, brown, dry (lobia) (B005) | 207 mg |
| Green gram, whole, dry (whole moong) (B011) | 180 mg |
| Pistachio nuts (H018) | 171 mg |
| Bajra (pearl millet) (A003) | 140 mg |
| Gingelly seeds, black (black sesame, til) (H009) | 136 mg |
| Gingelly seeds, white (white sesame, til) (H011) | 120 mg |
| Bengal gram, whole, dry (whole chana) (B002) | 117 mg |
| Bengal gram dal, dry (chana dal) (B001) | 116 mg |
| Ragi (the grain, raw) (A010) | 68.58 mg |
| Wheat flour, atta (A019) | 44.93 mg |
| Almond (H001) | 32.04 mg |
| Milk, whole, cow (L002) | 20.52 mg |
| Rice, raw, milled (A015) | 9.51 mg |
Several spices (for example fenugreek seeds, G026, at 1,082 mg) and a few other rows also have ALA in IFCT 2017, but spices are eaten in grams, so they are left out of this ranking. IFCT 2017 has no row for cooking oils, and its groundnut row prints 0.00 mg, so we left it out.
ALA in a serving, with weights we chose
IFCT lists food per 100 g, so a serving needs a weight, and these are ours. Each figure is ALA per 100 g times the grams, divided by 100, to the nearest 0.1 mg.
| Serving (weights are ours) | Alpha-linolenic acid |
|---|---|
| 10 g linseeds (H014) | 1,295.6 mg |
| 20 g walnuts (H021) | 1,742.0 mg |
| 10 g garden cress seeds (H008) | 748.4 mg |
| 10 g mustard seeds (H013) | 334.1 mg |
| 30 g soybean, dry (B024) | 393.0 mg |
| 30 g whole urad, dry (B004) | 180.3 mg |
| 30 g rajmah, dry (B019) | 165.6 mg |
| 30 g whole moong, dry (B011) | 54.0 mg |
| 100 g raw fenugreek leaves (C020) | 362.0 mg |
| 100 g raw spinach (C033) | 220.0 mg |
| 50 g paneer (L003) | 116.5 mg |
| 10 g black sesame (H009) | 13.6 mg |
| 20 g almonds (H001) | 6.4 mg |
| 30 g ragi grain, raw (A010) | 20.6 mg |
| 40 g wheat flour (atta) (A019) | 18.0 mg |
| 200 g whole cow milk (L002) | 41.0 mg |
What the numbers say
- A few seeds and walnuts lead by a wide margin. Linseeds have 12,956 mg per 100 g, walnuts 8,710 mg and garden cress seeds 7,484 mg, so 10 g of linseeds holds about 1,295.6 mg and 20 g of walnuts about 1,742.0 mg.
- Almonds, pistachios and sesame are much lower. Almonds have 32.04 mg per 100 g, black sesame 136 mg and white sesame 120 mg.
- Soybean leads the pulses. Dry brown soybean has 1,310 mg, against 116 mg for chana dal. For protein in the same pulses, see which dal has the most protein.
- Leaves are in the hundreds, milk is low. Raw fenugreek leaves have 362 mg and spinach 220 mg per 100 g; whole cow milk has 20.52 mg.
The same book ranks other nutrients in other tables: see vitamin E-rich vegetarian foods, high-fibre vegetarian foods and zinc-rich vegetarian foods.
What the requirement tables say
The ICMR-NIN 2020 brief note on nutrient requirements for Indians says, on PDF page 3 and in its text rather than a table, that alpha-linolenic acid (also called n-3, omega 3 or ALA) cannot be made by the body, and that nuts and oilseeds are among the foods to take to meet "the required amounts of 6.6 grams of n-6 PUFA and 2.2 grams of n-3 PUFA". IFCT 2017 lists ALA, which is one n-3 fatty acid, not total n-3 PUFA, so this page does not turn the serving figures into a share of 2.2 g, and the brief note's tables (PDF page 6) have no fat row. It also says the visible fat (cooking oil) must be limited to 20 to 50 g a day depending on energy needs; this page does not cover cooking oils.
What this page leaves out
- EPA and DHA: the plant-food pages of IFCT 2017 Table 7 (PDF pages 227 to 262) have no column for them, and this page makes no claim about how the body uses ALA.
- Absorption: IFCT 2017 reports the ALA in the food, not how much the body takes up, and we did not read a source that gives this for Indian foods.
- Cooked values, cooking oils and foods with no IFCT row (roti, cooked dal, curd, tofu), and how cooking or storage changes fats.
- Supplements, fortified foods and non-vegetarian sources, and whether you have enough omega-3: only a doctor can tell you that.
A note on health
This article is general educational content, not medical advice. It does not say that any food prevents or treats any condition. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, follow a restricted diet, have a medical condition, take medicines or are considering an omega-3 supplement, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian about your own situation before changing your diet or taking any supplement.
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Join the NYUS waitlistFrequently asked questions
Which vegetarian foods have the most omega-3 (ALA)?
In IFCT 2017 Table 7, per 100 g, linseeds (H014) have 12,956 mg of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3 n-3), walnuts (H021) 8,710 mg, garden cress seeds (H008) 7,484 mg, mustard seeds (H013) 3,341 mg and dry brown soybean (B024) 1,310 mg. Seeds are eaten in small amounts, so a 10 g serving of linseeds holds about 1,295.6 mg by our arithmetic.
Do dals and green leaves have ALA?
Per 100 g, among the dry pulses here IFCT 2017 gives brown soybean (B024) 1,310 mg, whole urad (B004) 601 mg, urad dal (B003) 566 mg, brown rajmah (B019) 552 mg, moth bean (B016) 240 mg, brown cowpea (B005) 207 mg, whole moong (B011) 180 mg, whole chana (B002) 117 mg and chana dal (B001) 116 mg. Among the raw leaves it gives fenugreek leaves (C020) 362 mg, colocasia leaves (C018) 335 mg, tender pumpkin leaves (C030) 298 mg, green amaranth leaves (C002) 247 mg and spinach (C033) 220 mg. IFCT 2017 has no rows for cooked dal or leaves.
Does IFCT list EPA or DHA for vegetarian foods?
No. IFCT 2017 Table 7 gives alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) for the plant foods on this page. The pages for plant foods (PDF pages 227 to 262) have no EPA or DHA column, which appear only on later pages for animal foods. How the body uses ALA is not something this page covers, so ask a doctor or registered dietitian if that matters to you.
How much omega-3 do I need, and should I take a supplement?
The ICMR-NIN 2020 brief note (PDF page 3, in its text rather than a table) says the required amounts for essential functions are 2.2 g of n-3 PUFA and 6.6 g of n-6 PUFA. IFCT 2017 lists ALA, which is one n-3 fatty acid, not total n-3 PUFA, so this page does not turn the serving figures into a share of that amount. Whether to take an omega-3 supplement is a decision for a doctor, and this page gives no dose. If you take medicines or have a medical condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.
Sources
- ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017). Table 7 (Fatty Acid Profile), α-Linolenic (C18:3n3) column (F18D3N3, mg), per 100 g edible portion, rows opened and read from the PDF on 24 Oct 2026: A003, A010, A015 (PDF page 228); A019, B001, B002, B003, B004, B005, B011 (PDF page 230); B016, B019, B024, C002 (PDF page 232); C018, C020 (PDF page 234); C030, C033 (PDF page 236); H001, H008, H009, H011, H013, H014, H018 (PDF page 258); H021, L002, L003 (PDF page 260).
- ICMR-NIN, Nutrient Requirements for Indians 2020, brief note, PDF page 3 (text on n-3 and n-6 PUFA, essential fatty acids and visible fat) and Tables 3 and 4 on PDF page 6 (no fat row).
The serving weights and the serving ALA figures are NYUS's own arithmetic, and every sentence starting "Our reading" is NYUS opinion, not from a study. Names in brackets are our matching to the IFCT row names.