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Written by Brendan Modini
Fats are an important part of any diet. I repeat, fats are important and can be in fact good!
Just like proteins and carbohydrates, fats are a nutrient our bodies need to function and be healthy.
Our bodies need some fat in our diet (and body) for energy, to help absorb vitamins and for both heart and brain health.
But not all fats are the same and we’ll explain them here.
There are four main types of fats found in foods we eat.
Monounsaturated fat – good
Polyunsaturated fat – good
Saturated fats – unhealthy
Trans fats – unhealthy
Wow. That’s a mouthful, right? Let’s dig a little deeper...
The good (unsaturated) fats are what we want to keep in our diet.
More specifically, they are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.
These types of fats are known to have lower disease risk compared to the other types of fats.
They are good for your heart, your cholesterol and overall health.
Olive, canola, peanut, and sesame oils
Avocados
Olives
Whole nuts like almonds, peanuts, macadamia, hazelnuts, pecans, and cashews
Nut butters like peanut butter and almond butter
Sign me up for a Sunday smashed avo, please!
Seeds like sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin
Flaxseed
Walnuts
Fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines, and fish oil
Soybean and safflower oil
Soymilk
Tofu
Both saturated fats and trans fats are considered the ‘unhealthy’ fats and the ones we want to consume in moderation.
These types of fats in our diet can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity.
Most of these types of fats are found in processed foods, however they can also be found in animal and plant foods too – so keep your eyes peeled on the nutrition label.
Fatty cuts of red meat like beef, lamb, and pork
The skin on chicken and other poultry
Whole fat dairy like milk, cream, cheese, ice cream, and butter
Tropical oils like coconut and palm oil
Deep-fried foods
Biscuits, cakes, and pastries
Takeaway foods, such as hamburgers, pizza, and hot chips
As mentioned before, fat is a nutrient your body needs just like carbs and protein.
Dietary fat (particularly the good ones!) are essential for many biological processes.
In short, you wouldn’t be a happy, healthy human without it.
Hormone production. Your body needs dietary fat to make specific hormones, including the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen.
Helps you absorb vitamins. Many vitamins (like A, D, E, and K) are fat-soluble. This means your body can only absorb them when you consume them along with fat.
Supports brain and eye health. Your body doesn’t make essential fatty acids (like omega 3) which are important for your brain, central nervous system, and retinas. We can only get this from foods we eat, like fish.
Supports cell production. Essential fatty acids play a key role in blood clotting, healing wounds, and provides structure to the outer membrane of every cell in your body.
Source of energy. Each gram of fat you consume provides you with about 9 calories of energy – carbs and protein only give you about 4 in comparison.
Swap fried for grilled, steamed, or roasted
Swap cooking with butter to oils high in good fats (like olive)
Swap takeaway foods like pizza and hamburgers to homemade ‘fakeaways’
Swap whole fat dairy for low fat options
Swap high fat cuts of meat to lean cuts of meat
Short answer, no!
You can still enjoy all these types of foods in moderation with a healthy diet – just be mindful.
Keep those healthy fats in your diet and enjoy those unhealthy fat foods in moderation for a happy, healthy human (that’s you!).