A Life Anchored in Ballstad
Born in 1930, Malfrid Olsen has spent all of her 91 years in Ballstad. She raised five children, doted on twelve grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, and ran a family shop with her husband from 1959 onward. Retirement hasn’t slowed her down: she lives independently, keeps a full social calendar, and still hops in the car whenever she pleases.
Daily Habit, Decades Strong
From Childhood to Today
Malfrid takes liquid omega-3 every day—just as she did growing up in a coastal household where fish was the staple and a spoon of cod liver oil was as routine as breakfast. For her, the liquid format isn’t a trend; it’s tradition.
Why It Mattered Then—and Still Does
In her youth, omega-3 was simply “good for your health.” Neighbors joked it was an “energy drink” that gave you “super powers,” but behind the humor was a clear belief: it helped people stay well, especially through flu season. Long before multivitamin tablets were common in Norway, cod liver oil supplied essential vitamins alongside its marine fats.
Lessons from Wartime Norway
The Schoolroom Spoon
During the war years (1940–1945), rationing made nourishment a national concern. Malfrid remembers the government-organized school program: every student lined up at lunch, personal spoon in hand, to receive a measured dose of omega-3 from the teacher’s bottle. The flavor was stronger then—refining methods were rudimentary—but the purpose was serious: bolster children’s immunity in hard times.
When the Sea Wasn’t Near
She also recalls stories from inland communities with limited access to fish, where iodine deficiency—and sometimes goiter—was more common. To Malfrid, those accounts reinforced what coastal families had long understood: the sea’s bounty wasn’t just food; it was protection.
Passing the Ladle to the Next Generation
How She Fed Her Family
When her own children were school-age, Malfrid kept the custom alive. Each morning began with a spoonful of omega-3, followed by a diet that put fish on the table most weekdays—often five days out of seven—with meat saved for at most two. In winter, when cod returned from the Barents Sea to spawn in Lofoten, entire weeks became celebrations of seafood.
The Cook’s Perspective
For Malfrid, fish is the most versatile ingredient in the kitchen. She delights in how many dishes it can become—hearty, delicate, rustic, refined—while remaining unmistakably good for you. She struggles to think of another ingredient that offers such variety with such clear health benefits.
Her Message to the Young
A Simple, Steady Insurance
Asked what she’d tell today’s parents and teens, Malfrid doesn’t hesitate: take your omega-3. In her view, the habit is a small daily choice that pays out over a lifetime—an uncomplicated way to safeguard health and, with a bit of luck, lengthen the years to enjoy it.
