High Fat Foods that Are Totally Good For You

We went through a period of time where eating fat was not suggested for a healthy diet, but like many diet trends when new research came around that idea was partially thrown out the window. Certain types of fats are always to be avoided, but natural fats from food in its unprocessed form is generally not only fine to eat, but good for you.

In the revised Dietary Guidelines for the years 2015-2020 is the first time in 35 years that the fat consumption is not suggested to be limited. The only limit that remains on fat in the guidelines is that less than ten percent of daily calories should be coming from saturated fat. Totally doable.

Foods that are high in healthy fat are good for you for a variety of reasons including heart health, but also because they keep you feeling satiated so you’re less likely to snack on foods that are actually bad for you. High fat foods also help you take in more vitamins through your food, and let’s not forget to mention that they are super delicious.

Take olive oil for example. Olive oil has the capacity to lower your risk of  heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Some research has shown that compounds it contain such as oleic acid and secoiridoids can also help to slow the aging process in the body. Sauteing vegetables in olive oil will actually bring out more antioxidants and nutrients than simply steaming them, so it can also give a healthy boost to the other foods that you’re eating. Just me mindful of servings since it is oil after all and a very concentrated source of fat.

Don’t shy away from the guacamole just because the avocados are full of fat. The oil in avocados has the ability to reduce inflammation in the body as well as fill you up with healthy fats. Avocados are a great addition to a salad since the body needs fat to absorb the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Nutrition experts used to warn against eating too many eggs because of their cholesterol content, but now they have realized that it’s not really the cholesterol in foods that cause artery build up in the body, but the saturated fats. Eggs are a super great source of protein since they cover all the amino acids and are readily available to the body, and eating them for breakfast can help you feel full longer and tide you over until lunch time.

Nuts are another very concentrated source of fat so they should be eaten in moderation, but they are an awesome snack and a good source of amino acids, vitamin E, and unsaturated fatty acids. Some research has shown that eating nuts daily can reduce the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, or having a stroke. Just avoid nuts that have sugar, coatings, or sweet flavoring because those are essentially like eating candy. Stick with the plain or salted ones to keep the snacking as healthy as possible.