Healthy fats are an essential part of a balanced diet, yet many of us struggle to incorporate enough into our meals. We usually eat enough fat, but it’s of the saturated and trans types. Instead, we should shift our focus to mono- and polyunsaturated fats. That’s what we are here to help you with. Read on to explore the most impactful ways to get more healthy fats into your diet.
Why Healthy Fats Are Important
The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats we just mentioned play critical roles in upholding your overall health. These fats help your body absorb essential vitamins, support cell health, reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar, and more. Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, are known for improving brain function and lowering the risk of heart disease.
Saturated and trans fats have nearly opposite effects when consumed in excess. Now, you don’t have to completely remove saturated and trans fats from your diet (think red meat, cheese, fried foods, etc.). But you should limit their intake and swap them for healthier alternatives. We explore just how to do that below.
Find Creative Ways To Eat More of the Right Foods
Adding more healthy fats to your plate doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple swaps and creative snacking can do the trick. Consider adopting the following easy food habits:
- Replace fried snacks like potato chips with small handfuls of raw nuts or seeds.
- Drizzle nut or seed butters over your oatmeal, smoothies, ice cream, fruits, pancakes, and whatever else seems like a tasty pairing.
- Get creative with avocado! Spread it on seed toast, chow down on guacamole, slice it up for sandwiches, blend it into creamy sauces, or eat it by the spoonful.
- Sprinkle seeds (like chia, flax, and sunflower seeds) on salads, toast, bowls, and more.
- Integrate more fish into your diet as a protein focus; it’s rich in omega-3s.
Making these small, flavorful adjustments will help you easily up your intake of healthy fats.
Swap Your Cooking Oil
The oils you cook with contribute to the fat quality of your meals. Instead of using oils high in saturated fats, like butter or vegetable oil, opt for olive and avocado oil.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil contains monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. It’s ideal for drizzling over salads or low-heat cooking.
- Avocado oil: With a high smoke point, avocado oil is perfect for sautéing or frying.
Experiment with these options and discover how they enhance both the taste and nutritional value of your meals.
Grow Fatty Produce at Home
If you’re looking for a fun and rewarding way to incorporate more healthy fats, try growing fatty produce at home. For instance, if you live in a warm climate, avocados are a fantastic addition to your backyard garden. With proper care, avocado trees can provide an abundant supply of this versatile fruit.
Nuts are also great to consider as a source of healthy fats. Maybe you should plant a chestnut tree to enjoy this unique, nutritionally dense, relatively low-calorie nut. Or for something more traditional, you can grow almond or walnut trees if you have the outdoor space. Nuts store well and are perfect for long-term healthy snacking.
You can even cultivate seeds! For instance, you can grow chia or flaxseed plants in a small garden plot or containers and then process the plants to harvest the seeds. These seeds are powerhouses of omega-3s and easy to sprinkle on almost any dish.
Growing your own fatty foods is not only beneficial for your health but also a step toward more sustainable eating.
Take Simple Steps for a Healthier Lifestyle
Healthy fats are critical to your diet for their numerous benefits, from improved brain and heart health to increased energy levels. By adding nutritious snacks, swapping cooking oils, and growing your own produce, you can get more healthy fats into your diet.
This article was written for WHN by Casey Cartwright, a passionate copyeditor highly motivated to provide compelling SEO content in the digital marketing space. Her expertise includes a vast range of industries, from highly technical to consumer and lifestyle-based, with an emphasis on attention to detail and readability.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN does not agree or disagree with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement.
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References/Sources/Materials provided by:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fat/art-20045550
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-fats-bad-and-good
https://www.roswellpark.org/cancertalk/202401/10-tips-incorporating-healthy-fats-your-diet
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/5-tips-for-eating-good-fat
