Recipes
Wild Salmon in Green-Curry Broth
Rosemary Tuna with White Beans
Crisp Mackerel Salad with Grainy-Mustard Vinaigrette
Grilled Fresh Sardines

By now, everyone knows there's a big difference between the fat in ice cream and the kind in olive oil, walnuts, or avocado. But if you haven't visited your seafood counter lately, you could be missing out on one of the most virtuous fats of all: omega-3 fatty acids.

Like many "good" fats, omega-3s are unsaturated, the kind of fat that keeps the heart healthy and may also stave off type 2 diabetes and some cancers, says Susan Bowerman, assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. What's more, omega-3 fatty acids help prevent inflammation throughout the body, along with blood clots that can lead to stroke. As we age, omega-3s may also protect against mental decline.

Fatty, cold-water fish, such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, and sardines, are rich in the most important forms of omega-3s, called EPA and DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid). Plant-based foods such as flaxseed and walnuts deliver lesser amounts of omega-3s in another form, ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which the body then converts to small amounts of DHA or EPA. These foods are considered complements to, but not substitutes for, fish. Scientists recommend 1,500 to 2,000 milligrams of omega-3s per week, consumed through a variety of seafood, to protect against heart disease. For most of us, that's bait enough.