Top 10 Foods Highest in Omega 6 Fatty Acids

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Top 10 Foods Highest in Omega 6 Fatty Acids

Omega-6 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat naturally occurring in nuts, seeds and vegetable oils. Consumption of omega-6 fats has dramatically increased over recent years, due to the wide use of refined vegetable oils and their addition to processed and fast foods. (1)

While many sources of omega-6 are healthy, this large increase in consumption has been linked to health problems, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory, and autoimmune diseases. (2)

What appears to be the problem is that the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in the diet has become too high. For some people, therefore, increasing omega 3 fats and limiting omega-6 consumption (especially from unhealthy sources) can be beneficial.

Unhealthy foods high in omega-6 fats include processed snacks, fast foods, cakes, fatty meats, and cured meats. Healthier sources of omega-6 fats include tofu, walnuts, and peanut butter. (3) Tofu and walnuts contain omega 3 fats and have a reasonable omega 3 to omega 6 ratio. The adequate intake (AI) for omega-6 foods is 17g per day for men and 12g for women. (4,5)

For more, please see the article of foods with the best omega 3 to 6 ratio, and the unfiltered list of over 200 foods high in omega 6 fats.

List of High Omega 6 Foods

Extruded corn chips1 Snacks (Corn Chips)
1g Omega 3 per 28g Omega 6
Omega 6
per Cup
Omega 6
per 100g
Omega 6
per 200 Calories
14.51g
(85% AI)
16.49g
(97% AI)
5.92g
(35% AI)

More Snacks High in Omega 6 Fats

  • 31% AI per oz of potato chips (crisps)
  • 30% AI per oz of corn tortilla chips
  • 20% AI per oz of peanut granola bars

See all snacks high in omega 6 fats.

Fried Onion Rings2 Fast Foods (Subway Tuna Sub)
1g Omega 3 per 7g Omega 6
Omega 6
per 6 Inch Sub
Omega 6
per 100g
Omega 6
per 200 Calories
14.08g
(83% AI)
5.94g
(35% AI)
5.38g
(32% AI)
  • 80% AI in 18 onion rings
  • 77% AI per Burger King chicken sandwich
  • 74% AI per KFC fried chicken breast
  • 47% AI in McDonald's big breakfast

See all fast foods high in omega 6 fats.

A block of tofu3 Firm Tofu
1g Omega 3 per 7g Omega 6
Omega 6
per Cup
Omega 6
per 100g
Omega 6
per 200 Calories
10.93g
(64% AI)
4.34g
(26% AI)
6.03g
(35% AI)

More Soy Foods High in Omega 6 Fats

  • 45% AI per cup of boiled soybeans
  • 40% AI per cup of tempeh
  • 28% AI per 1/2 cup of natto

Tofu is also high in omega 3 fats and is a healthy source of vegan protein and other nutrients.

Walnuts4 Walnuts
1g Omega 3 per 4g Omega 6
Omega 6
per Oz
Omega 6
per 100g
Omega 6
per 200 Calories
10.82g
(64% AI)
38.09g
(224% AI)
11.65g
(69% AI)

More Nuts and Seeds High in Omega 6 Fats

  • 55% AI per oz of sunflower seeds
  • 34% AI per oz of pecans
  • 24% per oz of pistachios

Walnuts are also high in omega 3 fats and are a heart-healthy source of many other nutrients.

See all nuts and seeds high in omega 6 fats.

Bottle of Vegetable Oil5 Safflower Oil
This food has no Omega 3 fats.
Omega 6
per Tblsp
Omega 6
per 100g
Omega 6
per 200 Calories
10.15g
(60% AI)
74.62g
(439% AI)
16.88g
(99% AI)

More Oils High in Omega 6 Fats

  • 56% AI per tblsp grapeseed oil
  • 43% AI per tblsp corn oil
  • 42% AI per tblsp walnut oil
  • 41% AI per tblsp soybean oil
  • 33% AI per tblsp sesame oil

See all oils high in omega 6 fats.

A slice of chocolate cake6 Cake with Frosting
1g Omega 3 per 9g Omega 6
Omega 6
per Slice
Omega 6
per 100g
Omega 6
per 200 Calories
5.8g
(34% AI)
4.03g
(24% AI)
2.13g
(13% AI)

More Baked Foods High in Omega 6 Fats

  • 27% AI in a slice of pound cake
  • 26% AI in a 4oz cream filled eclair
  • 24% AI in a piece of blueberry pie

The amount of omega 6s will depend on the fat used in baking.

See the list of all baked foods high in omega 6 fats.

A Spoon of Peanut Butter7 Peanut Butter
1g Omega 3 per 437g Omega 6
Omega 6
per 2 Tblsp
Omega 6
per 100g
Omega 6
per 200 Calories
3.91g
(23% AI)
12.22g
(72% AI)
4.09g
(24% AI)
  • 13% AI per tbsp of almond butter

Nut butters are a healthy source of vegan protein and other nutrients but watch your serving size as they are energy-dense. A tablespoon is a good serving size for most people.

A roast chicken8 Roasted Chicken Thigh
1g Omega 3 per 21g Omega 6
Omega 6
per Thigh
Omega 6
per 100g
Omega 6
per 200 Calories
3.68g
(22% AI)
2.69g
(16% AI)
2.31g
(14% AI)

More Poultry High in Omega 6

  • 17% AI per chicken wing
  • 17% AI in a chicken hotdog

See all meats high in omega 6 fats.

Cured meats9 Cured Meats (Pepperoni)
1g Omega 3 per 23g Omega 6
Omega 6
per 3oz
Omega 6
per 100g
Omega 6
per 200 Calories
3.22g
(19% AI)
3.78g
(22% AI)
1.5g
(9% AI)

More Pork High in Omega 6

  • 22% AI in a rack of pork ribs
  • 16% AI per 3 oz of salami
  • 13% AI per cup of cured ham

See all meats high in omega 6 fats.

A creamy soup10 Creamy Soups
1g Omega 3 per 7g Omega 6
Omega 6
per Cup
Omega 6
per 100g
Omega 6
per 200 Calories
3.1g
(18% AI)
1.25g
(7% AI)
6.42g
(38% AI)

More Soups High in Omega 6

  • 13% AI per cup of chicken soup
  • 7% AI per cup of clam chowder

See all soups and sauces high in omega 6 fats.

Printable One Page Sheet

Click to Print
Printable list of foods high in omega 6 fats. Foods high in omega 6 fats include unhealthy foods like processed snacks, fast foods, cakes, fatty meats, and cured meats. Other Omega 6 foods are healthier including tofu, walnuts, and peanut butter.

How much Omega 6 fats do you need every day?

Below are the daily adequate intakes (%AI) established for omega 6 foods. Adequate intakes are used when there is not enough data to formulate a recommended dietary allowance (RDA). The adequate intake of omega 6 fats ranges between 4g - 17g per day for most people.

Life StageRDA
Infants
0-6 months old4.4g
7-12 months old4.6g
Children
1-3 years old7g
4-8 years old10g
Males
9-13 years old12g
14-18 years old16g
19-50 years old17g
51+ years old14g
Females
9-13 years old10g
14-18 years old11g
19-50 years old12g
51+ years old11g
Pregnancy
14-50 years old13g
Lactation
14-50 years old13g

About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.


View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

  1. Changes in consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the United States during the 20th century.
  2. The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids.
  3. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
  4. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. The National Academies Press.
  5. Oregan State University on Essential Fatty Acids
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