Foods Highest in PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA)

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Top 50 whole foods per 100g, from USDA Standard Reference and Foundation databases

Fish oil, salmon ranks #1 of 50 for PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA), at 18.2G per 100g.

What These PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) Rankings Mean

This ranking surfaces the top 50 whole foods for PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA), pulled from USDA Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases. Those two sources intentionally exclude branded and processed entries, which keeps the list focused on raw ingredients where nutrient content reflects the food itself rather than fortification or recipe adjustments. There is no established FDA Daily Value for PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA), so amounts are reported in absolute terms (G per 100g edible portion).

At the top of the ranking sits Fish oil, salmon, delivering 18.2G per 100g. The top three (Fish oil, salmon, Oil, bearded seal (Oogruk) (Alaska Native), Fish oil, cod liver) together form a practical "big lever" set, foods where a single serving meaningfully moves daily intake. The visual bars beside each row scale against the top food, so you can see at a glance whether a lower-ranked food is still a strong source or a distant runner-up.

Because this page excludes branded products, it is the right tool for comparing whole-food cooking choices rather than packaged-food shopping decisions, for those, the per-food pages and the branded search tools cover the same nutrient at product level. All values are reported per 100g edible portion, which means the raw numbers can be directly compared but real-world servings differ (a 100g portion of spinach is very different from 100g of almonds by volume). The nutrition guides linked below explain how to translate % DV and per-100g figures into practical daily targets and how to read nutrition labels when comparing whole foods to their processed equivalents.

→ Compare the top three PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) sources side-by-side

# Food Amount % DV
1 Fish oil, salmon 18.2 G -
2 Oil, bearded seal (Oogruk) (Alaska Native) 12.4 G -
3 Fish oil, cod liver 11.0 G -
4 Fish oil, sardine 10.7 G -
5 Fish oil, menhaden 8.6 G -
6 Oil, spotted seal (Alaska Native) 6.5 G -
7 Fish oil, herring 4.2 G -
8 Oil, beluga, whale (Alaska Native) 3.9 G -
9 Fish, caviar, black and red, granular 3.8 G -
10 Fish, mackerel, salted 3.0 G -
11 Fish, roe, mixed species, cooked, dry heat 1.7 G -
12 Salmon, red (sockeye), filets with skin, smoked (Alaska Native) 1.5 G -
13 Fish, salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked, dry heat 1.5 G -
14 Fish, salmon, Atlantic, wild, cooked, dry heat 1.4 G -
15 Fish, mackerel, Atlantic, raw 1.4 G -
16 Fish, salmon, coho (silver), raw (Alaska Native) 1.4 G -
17 Fish, roe, mixed species, raw 1.4 G -
18 Fish, shad, american, raw 1.3 G -
19 Fish, anchovy, european, canned in oil, drained solids 1.3 G -
20 Lamb, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, pan-fried 1.3 G -
21 Smelt, dried (Alaska Native) 1.2 G -
22 Fish, whitefish, mixed species, cooked, dry heat 1.2 G -
23 Fish, mackerel, Pacific and jack, mixed species, cooked, dry heat 1.2 G -
24 Fish, herring, Atlantic, kippered 1.2 G -
25 Fish, tuna, fresh, bluefin, cooked, dry heat 1.1 G -
26 Fish, salmon, Atlantic, wild, raw 1.1 G -
27 Fish, herring, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat 1.1 G -
28 Fish, salmon, Atlantic, farmed, raw 1.1 G -
29 Steelhead trout, dried, flesh (Shoshone Bannock) 1.1 G -
30 Fish, mackerel, spanish, raw 1.0 G -
31 Fish, salmon, red, (sockeye), canned, smoked (Alaska Native) 0.97 G -
32 Fish, mackerel, spanish, cooked, dry heat 0.95 G -
33 Fish, salmon, chum, dried (Alaska Native) 0.95 G -
34 Fish, sablefish, smoked 0.94 G -
35 Fish, salmon, chinook, raw 0.94 G -
36 Fish, whitefish, mixed species, raw 0.94 G -
37 Fish, mackerel, Pacific and jack, mixed species, raw 0.93 G -
38 Fish, sablefish, cooked, dry heat 0.92 G -
39 Fish, anchovy, european, raw 0.91 G -
40 Fish, tuna, fresh, bluefin, raw 0.89 G -
41 Fish, herring, Pacific, cooked, dry heat 0.88 G -
42 Fish, salmon, coho, farmed, cooked, dry heat 0.87 G -
43 Fish, sardine, Pacific, canned in tomato sauce, drained solids with bone 0.86 G -
44 Fish, herring, Atlantic, raw 0.86 G -
45 Beef, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, simmered 0.85 G -
46 Beef, variety meats and by-products, brain, raw 0.85 G -
47 Fish, salmon, coho, wild, cooked, moist heat 0.83 G -
48 Fish, salmon, coho, farmed, raw 0.82 G -
49 Fish, salmon, pink, canned, without salt, solids with bone and liquid 0.81 G -
50 Fish, mackerel, jack, canned, drained solids 0.80 G -

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is highest in PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA)?

Fish oil, salmon is the food highest in PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA), with 18.2G per 100g.

How much PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) do I need per day?

There is no established FDA Daily Value for PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA). Consult a healthcare professional for guidance on appropriate intake levels.

What are good whole food sources of PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA)?

Top whole food sources of PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) include Fish oil, salmon, Oil, bearded seal (Oogruk) (Alaska Native), Fish oil, cod liver, and more. These rankings are based on USDA Standard Reference and Foundation food data, measured per 100g edible portion.

Source: USDA FoodData Central — Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases. Branded and processed products are excluded. All values per 100g edible portion.
Source: FDA Daily Value reference — PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) (no established DV) based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
This information is for reference only and should not replace professional dietary advice.

Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.