Fueling with fats — how to strike a healthy balance

Dietary fats often get a bad rap, but they’re essential for every cell in your body. Gram-for-gram, fats contain a little more than twice the calories of protein and carbohydrates, which is why they’re often targeted when trying to cut calories.

Far from being “empty calories,” fats:

Promote healthy intestinal lining and cell-membrane structure

Support brain, eye and nervous-system health

Drive hormone production and vitamin D synthesis

Help absorb and transport fat-soluble nutrients (A, D, E, K)

Serve as an alternative fuel source to carbohydrates

Help prevent energy crashes and excess hunger between meals

Keep reading to explore the benefits and drawbacks of different fats, so you can feel confident including higher-fat foods in portions that fit your goals.

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FOCUS ON WHOLE-FOOD SOURCES OF FAT

Instead of focusing on individual types of fats, simplify your approach and work in a variety of minimally processed, nutrient-dense sources from:

Avocado

Olives

Cold-water fish (SMASH - salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring)

Raw nuts & seeds (almonds, walnuts, chia seed, flax seed, pumpkin seed, hemp seed)

Natural nut butters (no added sugar or oils)

Tahini (ground sesame seeds)

When using fats as a single ingredient in food preparation, choose:

Cold-pressed oils (extra-virgin olive, avocado)

Grass-fed butter & ghee (small amounts)

Coconut oil (small amounts)

Include high-quality fats at every meal. Rotate through nuts, seeds, wild caught fatty fish, pasture-raised/grass-fed meats, dairy and eggs, olives, avocado, coconut and cold-pressed oils.

BEWARE OF INDUSTRIALLY PROCESSED FATS & OILS

Trans Fats

Created by partially hydrogenating vegetable oils to change texture and make processed food products more shelf-stable

Increase inflammation, diabetes and heart-disease risk

Though banned in many countries, they still lurk in some processed foods

Industrial Seed Oils

Soybean, corn, canola, cottonseed and safflower oils come from the seeds of these plants and undergo heat and chemical extraction

Commonly used in restaurants and found in ultra-processed foods (dressings, condiments, protein bars, pastries, pre-packaged hummus, chips, etc.) in the U.S.

Processing oxidizes the oils and creates harmful byproducts

High in omega-6 fats which can drive chronic inflammation in high amounts

Limit or avoid highly processed fats that are often chemically altered or stripped of nutrients:

Industrial seed oils (soybean, corn, cottonseed, canola, palm, “vegetable”)

Deep-fried and ultra-processed foods

Buttery spreads and shortening

Reduce ultra-processed, chemically altered, and conventionally farmed products containing unhealthy fats.

BALANCING FATS IN A NUTSHELL

Audit your pantry and fridge. Replace factory oils and spreads with extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, grass-fed butter or ghee, and coconut oil.

Cut back on restaurant dishes that are heavy on oil, fatty meats, cheese and eggs. Unless you know otherwise, assume the restaurant uses industrial seed oils and conventional animal products.

Plan fish days. Build 2-3 meals a week around high omega-3 fish.

Boost whole-food fats. Keep nuts, seeds, olives and avocados within reach for snacks and toppings.

DIY dressings & spreads. Make your own hummus, guacamole, pesto, and salad dressings to control fat quality.

Simple Avocado Chicken Bowl

Recipe adapted from Taste of Savor
Makes 4-6 servings
PRINT RECIPE

Ingredients
2 medium cooked chicken breasts, shredded or diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ - ½ cup chopped red or green onion
1 cup diced tomato
1 large or 2 small cucumbers, diced
2 ripe avocados, pits removed and cut into chunks
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup lime juice, about 2 limes
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a big bowl, toss together the cooked chicken, beans, onion, tomato and cucumber.

Carefully stir in the avocado, so it stays chunky.

Pour the olive oil and lime juice over the mix, sprinkling with salt and pepper as desired.

Notes
Rotisserie chicken also works well for this dish if you're short on time.