Trader Joe’s Corn Chips with Flax

Trader Joe’s carries a really great tasting corn chip with a twist on the traditional version: it is filled with flax seeds.

The label boasts 1000 mg of Omega 3 per serving One serving is one-third of one cup and about 140 calories. It contains a total of 5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 1 gram of which is Omega 3 fatty acids. The remaining is Omega 6 fats. That puts the ratio at about 5:1 of Omega 6 to Omega 3. That’s pretty darned good for a corn product.

Corn is naturally high in Omega 6 fatty acids, a necessary fat but one we all get too much of in our diet. Our over-indulging in Omega 6s and relative lack of Omega 3s is part of our depression story.

But does this product help the cause?

I am sorry to report: No, it does not.

The problem with this product is that the flaxseeds are whole and you will not be able to digest them. You will consume the 4 grams of Omega 6 fats without benefiting from the Omega 3 in the flax seed itself.

Eat them for the flavor. (I won't deprive you of corn chips or fish and chips.) But don't buy them to improve your Omega 3 fatty acid status.