What are the types of fat to include in your diet? Great question! Over the years, the nutrition advice on dietary fat seems to keep changing. “Fat is bad for you. Fat is good for you. Buy foods that are fat-free. No, go for low-fat options. Actually, you should consume foods that are full fat.”
This contradictory health guidance can be overwhelming and confusing. So…Which advice is accurate? Should you include fat in your diet, or avoid it altogether?
The truth is, we need to eat fat. But that doesn’t mean all high-fat foods are equally healthy. When it comes to the types of dietary fat to include in your diet, there’s a big difference between eating an avocado and eating a plate of greasy fries. So what exactly are the types of fats to include in your diet, and which types of fat should you limit or avoid?
First…What is dietary fat?
Fat is a macronutrient that we need from food. Our bodies break down the fats we eat into fatty acids, which we use use for energy and for our different metabolic systems. Of the three macronutrients, fats provides the highest amount of calories per gram at 9 kcal/g.
It’s important to include fat in your diet for a variety of reasons. Fat is necessary for absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Meanwhile it is necessary for building the membranes of cells that help the body function. It also plays a role in blood clotting, muscle movement and inflammation. In addition, dietary fat keeps us full and satiated after meals and it helps our bodies absorb certain vitamins from our food. Last but not least, it makes food taste good! For all of these reasons, it’s important to include fat in your diet every single day.
How much fat should you eat?
The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting total fat to 20 to 35 percent of total daily calories. However, it is important to have fat at each meal and snack.
The type of fat you include in your diet is also important. It is recommended that saturated fat does not exceed more than 10 percent of total daily calories. So for example, a 2000-calorie diet should not exceed 22 grams of saturated fat.
Types of Fat to include in your diet
Monounsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated fats have a single chemical bond, and many monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. Examples are extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil.
Studies have shown that replacing a diet high in saturated fat with a diet high in monounsaturated fats can help decrease LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Monounsaturated fat is also linked to lower blood pressure.
Polyunsaturated Fat
On the other hand, polyunsaturated fats are made up of multiple (poly) chemical bonds. These types of fat provide our bodies with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These are essential for health, but are not made by the body.
Omega-3 fatty acids are linked to better heart health and eye health, along with a lower risk of some other conditions. To get more omega-3s in your diet, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating fatty fish at least twice a week.
Saturated Fat
Typically solid at room temperature, saturated fats such as butter have been linked to health issues including heart disease and weight gain. Saturated fat is found in animal products.
The good news is that it’s not necessary to avoid saturated fat altogether. Like most things, it’s okay to eat saturated fats in moderation. Meanwhile the AHA recommends limiting saturated fat to 5 or 6 percent of the total calories you eat daily.
Trans Fat
The least healthy of the group, trans fats, fall into two categories: natural fat from animals, and artificial fats that are manufactured by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils.
Artificial trans fats have no health benefits. In fact they are known to raise LDL cholesterol, lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
What about low-fat or fat-free products?
So what’s the deal with low-fat and fat-free products? Should you eat them, or not? No conversation about which fats to include in your diet is complete without addressing this question.
Our recommendation is simple: Rather than eating an exclusively low-fat or fat-free diet, focus on your overall eating pattern. Also keep in mind that products labeled as “fat-free” or even “low-fat” often have an increased amount of sugar added compared to the regular version of the item. This excess sugar is tied to weight gain as well as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular issues.
Meanwhile as nutrition experts, we can tell you that a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and heart-healthy fats will always be great choices in supporting your health.
Remember, one meal or snack will not make or break your health. It is the foods that you choose to consume most of the time that will have the largest overall impact. At mealtimes, have vegetables and fruits take up roughly half of your plate. Then fill the remainder of the plate with whole grains, lean proteins, and a source of healthy fat. Pairing at least two or three different food groups will increase your satisfaction and deliver more nutrients to your body.
Healthy fat and heart health
Need another reason to include healthy fat in your diet? Eating healthy fats helps promote heart health!
Some “experts” paint a black-and-white picture when it comes to fat intake and a healthy heart. They might recommend that someone avoid fat as much as possible, or eat it all the time while avoiding other food groups (such as carbs).
At Anderson’s Nutrition, we take a more balanced approach. We encourage our clients to enjoy saturated fat in small amounts, but not to treat foods rich in saturated fats as “unlimited” foods like non-starchy vegetables.
If you want to have a heart healthy diet, start with these three steps:
- Limit your added sugar and refined carbohydrate intake
- Be mindful of how much saturated fat you consume in your diet
- Prioritize monosaturated and some polyunsaturated fats
So what foods should we focus on including in our diet most of the time?
To improve overall health and keep your heart healthy, choose monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids instead of foods higher in saturated fat. Foods to choose include walnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, chia seeds, ground flaxseeds, hemp seeds, avocado, wild-caught fatty fish, grass-fed beef, extra virgin olive oil, and avocado oil.
- For polysaturated fats, try grilled, steamed, or baked salmon, trout, or mackerel instead of fried or breaded fish.
- Include a variety of protein sources in your diet by eating more seafood and plant-based proteins like beans and lentils.
- Choose leaner sources of meat like chicken or turkey, and lean ground beef; Try to avoid processed plant-based “meats” as they can cause inflammation.
- Swap your salad topping of croutons for options like walnuts or pumpkin seeds.
- Take it a step further and also swap the creamy dressing for an olive oil or avocado oil-based salad dressing.
- Upgrade your snacks! Focus on whole foods like nut butters and avocado rather than processed chips and cookies, which usually contain unhealthy fats; Look for nut butters with 1-2 ingredients!
How We can Help
Do you need additional guidance and support for creating a meal plan that is nutrient-dense, with the right type of fat to include in your diet? We can help. At Anderson’s Nutrition, we focus on the four Pillars of Health – nutrition, movement, stress, and sleep. Each pillar plays a vital role in overall health. Consider scheduling an appointment with one of our dietitians, and let us help you achieve your nutrition goals. Want help incorporating more healthy movement? We’ve got a program for that pillar as well! Click here to learn more.
We now offer packages that include both nutrition counseling and meal planning!
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