Did you know that fat is necessary to absorb and use antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals found in vegetables?

So when you are if you choose a salad dressing that is low-fat or you are avoiding cooking veggies with butter or olive oil you are actually doing yourself a disservice! Despite what you might think, it’s important to eat a balanced diet that includes vegetables as well as fats from high-quality, minimally processed sources. Fat supports several of your body’s functions and gives your body the energy that it needs. Fat also helps your body absorb important vitamins and gives your body essential fatty acids that control inflammation, improve brain health, and more.

Now that we know how important fats are, I‘m going to break down which ones you should eat more of and what ones you should limit and/or avoid.

Whole foods containing mostly monounsaturated fats. These fats help to prevent heart disease, lower blood pressure, and improve insulin sensitivity.

  • Olive oil
  • Nuts & seeds
  • Avocados
  • Polyunsaturated fats

Include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are key building blocks for life. Our bodies can’t make these fats so we have to consume them, and maintaining a healthy ratio between these fats is also critical.

  • Beans
  • Grains
  • Nuts & seeds

Saturated fats

Saturated fats are found in dairy, meat, coconut oil and even many plant foods, including nuts, olives, and avocados There is no single bad saturated fat except trans fat. What you eat these fats with matters. Butter in your cookies may be deadly, while butter on your veggies may be healthful. Do not eat saturated fats in combination with starch & sugar; that causes inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, dementia, and heart disease.

What fat to eat: Even though fats are complicated, eating a fat-free diet is not good for your health. We need fats to survive. Every cell is made of fat, our nerve coverings are made of fat; our brain is mostly fat; our hormones are made of fat; our cells and metabolism run better on fat. Fats help you absorb all of the beneficial fat-soluble vitamins in plant foods. Some fats have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. The key is to eat the right fats and stay clear of the wrong fats.

Fats to eat:

  • Organic extra virgin olive oil
  • Organic avocado oil
  • Walnut oil
  • Almond oil
  • Macadamia oil
  • Unrefined sesame oil
  • Tahini
  • Flax oil
  • Hemp oil
  • Avocado, olives, and other plant sources of fat
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Butter from pastured, grass-fed cows or goats
  • Grass-fed ghee
  • Organic, humanely raised tallow, lard, duck fat, or chicken fat
  • Coconut oil or MCT oil

Fats to avoid:

  • Soybean oil
  • Canola oil
  • Corn oil
  • Safflower oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Peanut oil
  • Vegetable oil, grape-seed oil
  • Vegetable shortening
  • Margarine and butter substitutes
  • Anything that says hydrogenated