The most-cited fish in omega-3 research, in a food people actually enjoy eating.
Salmon is the single most-cited fish across nutrition research for a reason: it delivers a large, reliable dose of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids in a widely available, well-liked food — no fish oil capsule required.
EPA and DHA, the two long-chain omega-3s concentrated in salmon, are the same fats studied extensively for their role in balancing the omega-6-heavy ratio of most modern diets, covered in depth in our foods list. Wild and farmed salmon both provide meaningful omega-3 content, though wild salmon generally carries somewhat higher levels — farmed salmon's profile depends heavily on what the fish are fed.
Salmon's pink-orange colour comes from astaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment with its own antioxidant research profile, present in much smaller amounts than the omega-3 content but worth knowing about.
Wild salmon is typically leaner with a somewhat different fat profile; farmed salmon is generally more consistently available and often cheaper. Neither is a wrong choice nutritionally — the bigger factor for THE FAD's purposes is how it's prepared (grilled or baked vs. battered and fried) rather than wild vs. farmed specifically.
Baked, grilled, or pan-seared with minimal added oil — see our Mediterranean salmon bowl recipe for one straightforward preparation.
Two servings of fatty fish like salmon per week is a commonly cited general target in dietary guidelines aiming for adequate omega-3 intake from food.