Not all fats are bad for your health! These should be included in the diet

Ua balanced diet should include good fats, which together with protein and carbohydrates provide energy and help the body function. 

As is already known, not all fats are healthy, and trans fats may pose long-term health risks, as highlighted by an article on Martha Stewart's website.

Nutrition experts have revealed the best fats and how they benefit the body.

What are healthy fats?

Food fats are the most energy-rich macronutrients, with 9 calories per gram. 

Most dietary fats are triglycerides, which can be healthy or harmful, depending on whether the associated fatty acids are saturated. 

Healthy fats are mainly unsaturated, according to nutritionist Sharniquia White. “A simple practical rule is that many unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, such as olive oil, canola oil and avocado oil,” he noted.

Benefits of healthy fats

In general, the consumption of vegetable oils rich in unsaturated fats is recommended, as highlighted by Whitney Linsenmeyer, a representative of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 

“ Decades of research in nutrition prove that unsaturated fats have a beneficial impact on heart, brain and health in general, and that is why they are recommended to the detriment of saturated fats ", explains.

“ These help maintain the health of the heart, improving cholesterol levels, contribute to brain function, since the brain is composed in large part of fat, help in the production of hormones and help the body to absorb liposoluble vitamins A, D, E and K ", highlights.

Healthy fats in cooking oils

Olive oil: “ Extravirgin olive oil is one of the most studied oils and is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats for the heart and antioxidant compounds called polyphenols, which makes it an excellent option for everyday life,” White stresses. 

Avocado oil: “ Different properties, such as taste or smoking point, can influence the decision which oil is best to use in a given recipe,” Linsenmeyer said.

This is where avocado oil comes in, which has a fatty acid profile similar to olive oil and a smoke point higher.

Canola oil, sunflower, peanut and soya: these oils mainly provide unsaturated fats and fit in a healthy diet. “Some, like soybean oil, also provide omega 3, while sunflower oil is rich in vitamin E,” White says. “Seed oils have been widely criticized recently, but much of this concern is not supported by current research,” White says.

Healthy Fats in Food

Fatty fish: salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring, which are cold water fatty fish, provide a concentration of omega 3 fatty acids, which are especially beneficial for the health of the heart and the brain.

Walnuts and seeds: options such as almonds, nuts, pumpkin seeds and linseed offer healthy fats as well as vegetable protein, vitamins and minerals.

Avocado: as well as nuts and seeds, avocado is rich in fibers, highlights Linsenmeyer, besides providing monounsaturated fats and potassium.

Legume vegetables and grains: beans, lentils, peanuts, peas and soybeans are poor in total fat and rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, vegetable sterols, vitamins, minerals, proteins and fibers.