Omega-3 (EPA+DHA) Intake Planner
See if your week’s EPA+DHA matches your target
Omega-3 goals, fish intake and safety FAQ
What does this omega-3 intake planner actually do?
It lets you set a weekly EPA+DHA goal, add the amounts you think you get from fish meals, supplements and other sources, and then shows your total per week, average per day and percentage of that goal. It is a simple way to see whether your week roughly lines up with the target you had in mind.
What are EPA and DHA again?
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are the long-chain omega-3 fats found mainly in fatty fish, seafood and fish/algae oil supplements. They are the forms most often used in research on heart, brain and eye health and in prescription omega-3 products.
How do I find EPA+DHA on my supplement or food label?
Many fish oil or algae oil products list a total amount of oil per capsule (for example, 1,000 mg fish oil) and then break out the amounts of EPA and DHA underneath. Add those together to get total EPA+DHA per capsule. For packaged foods, look for an omega-3 or EPA+DHA line in the nutrition panel or manufacturer info.
What if I have no idea how much EPA+DHA is in my fish meals?
This version assumes you have at least a rough EPA+DHA estimate for the week. Some people use typical values from food tables for portions of salmon, mackerel or sardines, then multiply by the number of portions they eat. If you are unsure, you can leave the fish box at zero and just track supplements until you have better estimates.
Is there a “correct” weekly goal I should use?
Different organisations give slightly different suggestions, and the right target depends on your health, diet and medical history. Many adult recommendations are in the ballpark of several hundred milligrams per day of combined EPA+DHA from food, often framed as eating fatty fish a couple of times a week. People with heart disease, pregnancy or very high triglycerides may have different targets set by their clinicians.
Does hitting my weekly EPA+DHA goal guarantee health benefits?
No. Omega-3 intake is only one part of the picture. Outcomes also depend on overall diet, movement, sleep, medications and genetics. The planner is best used as a consistency check for your intake, not as a guarantee that a specific number will prevent or treat disease.
Who needs specialist advice instead of just using this tool?
Anyone with heart disease, clotting disorders, high triglycerides, pregnancy, planned surgery, bleeding conditions or complex medication stacks should treat this as background education only and work closely with their own healthcare team before making big changes to fish intake or omega-3 supplements.
How to use this omega-3 (EPA+DHA) intake planner
This page helps you turn scattered labels and fish meals into a single weekly picture. Instead of guessing whether “a few capsules and some salmon” is enough, you choose a weekly EPA+DHA target and let the calculator estimate how your current pattern compares.
1. Choose a realistic weekly EPA+DHA goal
In the first box, enter your weekly goal in mg. Some people take their preferred daily amount (for example 300–500 mg EPA+DHA) and multiply by seven. Others use a goal their clinician or dietitian has suggested. If you are not sure what to pick, treat the number you enter as a testing target to see what your current habits add up to.
2. Match the unit to your labels
Use the entry unit dropdown to select mg or g. Many supplement labels list EPA+DHA in mg; some give total omega-3 in grams. Fish and seafood composition tables are also often in grams per serving. The planner converts everything into mg internally, so you can use whichever unit feels easiest as long as you are consistent.
3. Tally your weekly EPA+DHA from three main sources
Under Weekly EPA+DHA from fish and supplements, you have three boxes:
- A total from your fish and seafood meals over the week.
- A total from capsules or liquid supplements you take most days.
- A catch-all box for other sources, like fortified foods or extra products.
You can leave any box blank if it does not apply to you. The tool only counts numbers you enter.
4. Read the weekly total, daily average and status
When you select Check weekly omega-3 tally, the summary shows:
- Your total EPA+DHA for the week in mg.
- Your average per day (weekly total divided by seven).
- Your % of the goal you set, plus a label like “below”, “around” or “above” your target.
- A rough equivalent in fatty fish portions per week, based on a generic estimate of about 1 g EPA+DHA per typical serving of oily fish.
All of this is an approximation to help you see patterns over time, not an exact laboratory tally.
5. Copy the summary into health or training notes
The Copy summary button gives you a ready-made paragraph with your weekly totals, daily average and % of goal. You can paste it into a notes app, blood-work prep document, telehealth intake form or training log so everyone you work with sees the same numbers without redoing the math.
6. Adjust food and supplement plans with professional input
If the planner shows you are consistently far below the target you chose, you might talk with your clinician or dietitian about adding fish, seafood or a supplement. If you are routinely well above your target or combining large doses from several products, that is also a good reason to review your plan with them. Use the numbers here as discussion fuel, not as a decision engine on their own.
Over time, you can revisit the planner whenever your diet, dosage or health goals change, so your EPA+DHA intake stays intentional rather than accidental.
How the omega-3 intake math works
Under the hood this planner is simply doing unit conversions, weekly totals and percentages. There is no hidden risk scoring or clinical decision support, which is why it should sit alongside, not replace, individual medical advice.
1. Turning your entries into mg per week
The calculator first converts everything into mg of EPA+DHA per week:
- If you choose mg as the unit, the three amounts are added together directly.
- If you choose g, each entry is multiplied by 1,000 to convert grams to mg before summing.
Blank boxes are treated as zero, so you only count sources you actually enter.
2. Comparing to your weekly goal
Your weekly goal is also treated as mg per week. The tool then calculates:
Weekly % of goal = (total weekly EPA+DHA ÷ weekly goal) × 100
and a simple daily average:
Average per day = total weekly EPA+DHA ÷ 7
3. Labelling the status bands
To keep things readable, the planner uses broad bands:
- Clearly below goal when the weekly total is well under your target.
- Roughly at goal when it sits within a broad band around your chosen number.
- Above goal when your weekly total is substantially higher than your target.
The exact percentage cut-offs are deliberately loose, because real-world needs differ from person to person and there is no single perfect line for everyone.
4. Estimating “fatty fish portion equivalents”
For extra context, the planner assumes that a typical serving of oily fish contains about 1,000 mg of EPA+DHA and divides your weekly total by this figure. The result is shown as a rough number of fatty fish portions per week. Actual EPA+DHA content varies between species and portions, so this is only a ballpark comparison, not a precise measurement.
5. Why these numbers are not medical advice
Different guideline bodies set their advice based on specific outcomes and populations, and some people are on prescription omega-3 doses far above typical food-based targets. Because of that, the math here should be seen as general education, not a safety limit or treatment plan. If the numbers do not match a regimen you were given by your healthcare team, follow their instructions first and use this planner only for context.
References and further reading on omega-3 intake
These resources explain how EPA and DHA intakes from fish and supplements are discussed in current guidance and research:
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Health Professional Fact Sheet) — reviews dietary sources, typical intake ranges and research on EPA and DHA from foods and supplements.
- American Heart Association — Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids — summarises advice to eat fish, particularly fatty fish, regularly as part of a heart-healthy pattern rather than focusing on one specific supplement dose.
- EFSA — Scientific Opinion on the Tolerable Upper Intake Level of EPA, DHA and DPA — discusses safety assessments for long-chain omega-3 intakes from supplements in adults.
Use these as background reading, then work with your own clinician or dietitian to decide which EPA+DHA goals, food patterns and supplement doses fit your situation.