Once upon a time, dietary fat was feared as unhealthy for your heart and seen as one of the main causes of unwanted weight gain.
At 9 calories per gram, dietary fat packs a lot of nutrition in a small serving compared to carbohydrates (which contain 4 calories per gram), but today’s research has proven that dietary fat is definitely part of a healthy diet.
Let’s take a look at 6 of the healthiest sources of fat that ought to be included in a well-rounded diet.
What is dietary fat?
Dietary fat is actually essential to your body functioning properly. Without fat in your diet, your body can’t absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fatty foods also usually contain cholesterol, which your body needs, too!
Without cholesterol in your diet, your body will have to produce its own — and it would rather get it from food!
There are four types of fat found in foods:
- Saturated fat: solid at room temperature, mostly found in animal fats
- Monounsaturated fat: helps lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL, found in nuts, oils, avocado, etc.
- Polyunsaturated fat: contains omega fatty acids 3, 6, 9, great for heart health, found in fish, nuts, plant-based oils, etc.
- Trans fat: heavily processed to remain solid at room temperature, found in processed cookies, crackers, salad dressing, margarine, etc.
The phrase “essential fatty acids” means just that — the acids found in dietary fat are essential to your body’s ability to function. Without enough fat in your diet, your body will struggle to thrive, to maintain a healthy heartbeat, to absorb vitamins, to grow healthy hairs and nails…and more.
We all need fat in our diet.
For people with diabetes, dietary fat doesn’t directly raise blood sugar but it can slow down the digestion of carbohydrates you eat in the same meal and increase overall insulin resistance.
Read more about diets based on dietary fat intake:
Let’s take a look at some of the best sources of dietary fat.
Avocado
This fruit is 77 percent fat — more than the fattiest animal meats — with nearly 30 grams of fat in one medium-sized avocado and 322 calories.
Health benefits of avocados include:
- Oleic acid: Research has found that oleic acid acts is a powerful anti-inflammatory and may help prevent cancer.
- Dietary fiber: One avocado can pack in nearly 15 grams of fiber, making it great for your blood sugar, too.
- Lutein: This is especially important for people with diabetes because lutein helps protect your eyes from retinopathy.
- Potassium: Often associated with muscle cramps, this mineral is vital to keeping your organ muscles healthy, too. It helps to ensure that your heart keeps beating and your lungs keep breathing.
Recipe with avocado: Chocolate Avocado Smoothie & Turkey Burgers with Avocado
Fish
Fish is loaded with monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids that keep your heart and brain health, but it’s important that your fish selection is high-quality. A 4-ounce serving of salmon contains about 230 calories and 14 grams of fat.
The best choices include fresh salmon, tuna, herring, sardines, and trout.
Types of fish that contain high levels of mercury include King mackerel, tilefish, swordfish, and shark. These choices should be eaten no more than 12 ounces in one week.
Health benefits of fish include:
- Omega-3 fatty acids: This is one of the best and most affordable sources of omega-3 fatty acids that protect you from heart disease and keep your joints healthy.
- Calcium: An excellent source of plant-based calcium, a serving of chia seeds contain close to 20 percent of your recommended daily intake (a glass of milk contains about 30 percent).
Recipes with fish: Easy Baked Salmon with Lemon & Keto Tuna Salad
Nuts
The recommended serving size of nuts is 1 oz or a slightly larger serving of ¼ cup, which contains anywhere from 160 to 220 calories and 12 to 18 grams of fat depending on the nut.
Nuts are a very “nutrient-dense” food which means a small serving contains a lot of calories and valuable vitamins and minerals, but it also means you should be careful not to eat too much in one sitting. Snacking mindlessly on nuts while watching your favorite TV show could easily add up to 1000 calories or more.
Health benefits of nuts include:
- Calcium: Almonds, in particular, contain a great deal of calcium, and it’s more easily absorbed than the calcium found in dairy.
- Anti-inflammatory: A 2008 study found that people who eat nuts frequently have lower levels of inflammation.
- Good for your heart: Harvard researchers found that regular consumption of nuts leads to a significantly decreased risk of heart disease and coronary disease.
Recipes with nuts: Vegan Cauliflower Pizza & Keto Chocolate Brownie
Chia seeds
These tiny seeds are popular these days and they are loaded with healthy fat and tons of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids! Two tablespoons of chia seeds contain about 139 calories and 9 grams of fat.
Health benefits of chia seeds include:
- Reduce blood pressure: Regular consumption of chia seeds has shown in research to lower high blood pressure levels.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: This is one of the best and most affordable sources of omega-3 fatty acids that protect you from heart disease and keep your joints healthy.
- Calcium: An excellent source of plant-based calcium, a serving of chia seeds contain close to 20 percent of your recommended daily intake (a glass of milk contains about 30 percent).
Recipes with chia seeds: Coconut Chia Pudding & Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
You’ve likely heard how beneficial the Mediterranean diet is for your heart health — well, the fatty oil from olives is a big contributor to this. One tablespoon of olive oil contains 120 calories and 14 grams of fat.
Strive to only buy “extra virgin” olive oil because this ensures minimal processing (compared to “light” versions) which could deteriorate the many beneficial qualities olive oil ought to contain.
Health benefits in olive oil include:
- Vitamins E: Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant that protects cells throughout your body from damage by “free radicals.” It also reduces inflammation and is vital to keeping your eyes healthy!
- Vitamin K: Vitamin K plays a critical role in helping your blood clot when you get a cut or bruise, and in maintaining strong bones.
- Good for your heart: A diet containing plenty of high-quality olive oil has proven over and over again to protect your heart from heart disease.
- Lowers LDL cholesterol: Diets high in extra-virgin olive oil have proven in research to lower your LDL cholesterol!
Recipes with olive oil: Rosemary Chicken & Roasted Cauliflower Mash
Whole Eggs
Once deemed the enemy of heart and cholesterol health, a high-quality egg yolk actually contains a tremendous number of vitamins and minerals. Including the egg white — which contains most of the protein and nearly zero fat — 1 large egg contains about 70 calories and 5 grams of fat.
When it comes to buying eggs, quality matters. Organic, free-range chickens will absolutely produce healthier eggs than conventional chickens that are living in extremely crowded cages with little room to move or even stand up and walk.
Health benefits in whole eggs include:
- Necessary cholesterol: Yes, this is a benefit of eggs. Dietary cholesterol is not the same as cholesterol in your bloodstream, and your body needs dietary cholesterol in order to produce things like vitamin D, progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen! If you don’t eat enough of it, your body will produce its own.
- Weight-loss: Research has found that people who eat whole eggs for breakfast tend to lose more weight. With plenty of fat in the yolk and protein in the white, they are very satiating when paired with a high-quality source of carbohydrates like oatmeal, Ezekial bread, or fresh fruit.
- Insulin sensitivity: A variety of research has found that a diet consisting of whole eggs tends to increase insulin sensitivity and combat insulin resistance.
Recipes with eggs: Egg Muffins with Turkey Bacon & Chicken & Egg Salad
At the end of the day, it’s important to realize that dietary fat is very good for you and should be part of your daily diet.
Like all good things though, there is such a thing as too much. Talk to your healthcare team about the right amount of dietary fat for you based on your personal health goals and challenges.
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