Sunflower Seeds & Omega 6 Foods

Sunflower and Other Seeds

• Sunflower other type seeds are rich in Omega-6 fatty acids. According to a report by nutritionist Anne Collins, sunflower seeds have about 30 g worth of Omega-6s per 100 g. Other seeds that have high amounts of these fatty acids include pumpkin seeds at 20 g of fatty acids per 100 g, sesame seeds at 25 g of Omega-6s per 100 g and pine nuts at 25 g of Omega-6 per 100 g.

Oils

• Oils tend to have a high amount of Omega-6s and they should be consumed in moderation for those looking to limit these fatty acids from their diet. The richest sources of Omega-6 fat are safflower oil, which has about 74 g of fat per 100-g serving; grapeseed oil, which has 68 g per serving; and sunflower oil, which has 63 g of fat per serving. Other oils that contain large amounts of Omega-6s include soybean oil, corn oil and walnut oil according to the Anne Collins report.

Nuts

• Nuts are a source of Omega-6s, though not nearly as plentiful a source as oil and seeds. Walnuts contain 28 g of Omega-6s per 100 g, and Brazil nuts have 23 g of the essential fatty acid per 100 g, according to Collins. Other nuts that have Omega-6 fatty acids include cashews, almonds and hazelnuts.

Meats

• According to the Nutrition Data fat calculator, many meats contain a large amount of Omega-6 fatty acids. Lamb can contain about 3.8 g per 100-g serving, and chicken salad spread may contain up to 5.9 g per serving. Fried chicken may contain up to 13.2 g per serving to top the list. Other meats that contain Omega-6 fatty acids include turkey, beef, bologna, pork sausage and hot dogs.