I am confused about which oils and nuts will provide the most health benefits. I thought that canola oil was preferable to safflower and likewise that walnuts were preferable to almonds because of their omega-3 content. Is this correct?

You are correct. In terms of getting the maximum amount of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet canola oil is preferable to safflower. Similarly, walnuts have more omega-3 than do almonds. Because I am allergic to walnuts, almonds are generally my nut of choice - especially because they are a good source of calcium. A very concentrated source of omega-3 fatty acid is flaxseed oil. While you can’t cook with flaxseed oil, you can add it to salad dressings or mix it into yogurt or hummus.