Fixit: More omega-3 fats found in ocean fish

Q When I eat walleye, crappie and other lake fish, am I getting omega-3s?

A Yes, but not as much as you'll get with ocean fish. According to Julie Miller Jones, professor of nutrition at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, fish with the most omega-3 fatty acids are those that:

• Have some color in their meat, such as salmon, tuna and trout

• Are oily, such as mackerel and anchovies

• Come from very cold bodies of water, such as Lake Superior.

The species of freshwater fish that have the most omega-3 fats are brook, rainbow and lake trout; Lake Superior salmon (sometimes called salmon-trout); chub; smelt; burbot; whitefish and lake herring. Lower-fat fish and those with very white meat, such as walleye, pike, perch, bullhead and small-mouth bass, have lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids, but they still contribute it to the diet.

The amount of omega-3 fats in farmed freshwater fish depends on the amount of omega-3 in the feed.

More on car seat reuse Anne Helgason, a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, wrote to offer some additional insight on car seat reuse.

Child car seats are not easily reused because:

• Car seat age: Manufacturers generally recommend use only for five or six years because the extremes of hot and cold decrease the integrity of plastic components.

• Safety improvements: Car seats are continually improved in relation to their performance in true crash situations.

• After a crash: Once a car seat is involved in a crash, however minor, the structure and integrity of the seat is compromised. Often parents think that if the seat is in a minor crash or if their child was not in the seat at the time of the crash, then it is not an issue. That's not the case. Pressure may have been exerted at the points where the seat is installed (the seat belt path), which can cause unseen damage and the seat will be much less effective in a subsequent crash.

Here's a checklist from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety that she recommends for determining if it's safe to pass along a car seat:

Was the seat ever in a vehicle during a crash? If so, discard the seat.

Does it have a label showing that it meets all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards? If not, discard the seat.

Does the seat have a label showing the date of manufacture? If not, discard the seat.

Is the seat six years old or less? If not, discard the seat. Although some seats may be safe even when six to 10 years old, seats should not be used if they are over six years old. Normal wear and tear may cause the seat to not work as well.

Is the seat missing any parts? Are straps frayed, clips bent or metal slides rusted? If so, discard the seat.

Has the seat been recalled for a safety defect? If unsure, contact the manufacturer. If so, discard the seat. (If the safety defect can be repaired, do so before using the seat. If the safety defect cannot be repaired, discard the seat.)