What is a Healthy Fat?

Fat is bad, right? Well, it’s actually not all black and white.

Believe it or not, there are different types of fats!  So what is a healthy fat? The fats that we call “good” help protect against heart disease, encourage brain strength and build healthy skin, hair and nails. “Bad” fats have been linked to increased risk of heart disease, obesity and other health problems.  Ideally, you want to choose more foods that contain the “good” fats and limit the amount of foods that contain the “bad” fats.

Fats that you want to limit are saturated.  These are found in animal products like milk, cheese, dark meats, and eggs. Enjoy these ingredients in moderation and pepper in lean meats or fish and you’re onto a winner.

Trans-fats are a particularly nasty type of fat usually found in deep fried or highly refined foods. They don’t provide us with any health benefits or nourishment – just greasiness! Avoiding these in favour of other ingredients – and other cooking methods like baking, braising, grilling and poaching is a great way to make healthier choices when we eat.

What to look for:

• Salmon and oily fish
• Coconut oil
• Nuts and Seeds
• Lean meats (breast is a good cut)
• Avocado

Health benefits:

• lowers cholesterol
• helps control blood sugar
• lower risk of heart disease