When you think of consuming healthy foods while maintaining a balanced diet, high fat foods are pretty much the last thing that may come to your mind. We’ve always been taught that any food item that contains fats is harmful to us, and can be a major cause of heart trouble, but that isn’t the case. There is something known as healthy fats that rather than harming us when consumed, these foods provide us with the nutrients and proteins we need to survive. It can be hard to identify the foods with healthy fats and the ones that actually might end up harming you. Fear not; we are here to remove this hassle just for you. This article discusses what healthy high fat foods are, what you should consume, and how exactly they help you.
What are Good Fats?
Good fats, also called unsaturated/monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are a type of fat that are considered ‘good’, or healthy to consume. These types of fats can usually either be found in a plant-based diet (unsaturated) or in food items such as fatty fish (polyunsaturated.)
Unsaturated/monounsaturated fats are a category of healthy fats that are known to improve your overall blood cholesterol level by increasing good (HDL) cholesterol and thus help decrease cardiovascular disease risks. Polyunsaturated fats on the other hand are also labeled as ‘essential fats,’ meaning our body needs it for sustenance. Similar to unsaturated fats, these fats also help reduce the risk of any cardiovascular diseases, as high fat foods are rich in a component called omega-3 fatty acids. This is said to be beneficial to your heart health. Your heart rate as well as blood pressure can be kept under control if you consume a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
High Fat Foods to Avoid
While there are good facts to eat, there are also the ever-present unhealthier options that can be found in a lot of food items around us. Listed below you will find the certain types of fats that you need to either consume in moderation or completely avoid altogether to maintain your health:
Saturated fats are something that one should consume only in moderation, and should be balanced with other healthier food items. Some of the foods that contain saturated fats are as follows:
Saturated Fats
- Fatty cuts of beef, pork, as well as lamb
- Dark chicken meat
- Whole milk, butter, cheese, sour cream, ice cream, etc. (any high fat dairy product)
- Tropical oils such as coconut, palm, and cocoa butter
Trans Fats
These are quite literally the opposite of good fats and if possible, should be completely removed from your overall diet. Also called trans fatty acids, these types of fats are usually found in food items that have partially hydrogenated vegetable oils present in some amount. Some common examples of trans fats include but are not limited to:
- Fried food items like french fries, churros, doughnuts, etc.
- Margarine, both in stick and tub form
- Vegetable shortening
- Any kind of baked goods like cookies, cakes, pastries, breads, etc.
- Any kind of highly processed and commonly available snacks such as crackers, popcorn, chips, etc.
What to Consume? Some Good Fats To Eat
Avocados
Avocados are one of the good fats to eat that might not seem like much at first glance, but they still pack a punch. While fruits are usually high in carbs, avocados on the other hand have a high content of good fats in them. An avocado consists of around 80% fat and is a great source of potassium, fibre, and antioxidants.
Cheese
Cheese also contains good fats and can be beneficial for the body when consumed in moderation. It is high in a lot of good and essential things such as calcium, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and selenium.
Dark Chocolate
Surprised? Don’t be! Dark chocolate is another one of the high fat foods that are considered healthy for consumption. A chocolate that has at least 70% cocoa, has around 64%-65% fat in it, with the rest being made up of carbohydrates and a small amount of protein. It also contains other healthy elements such as iron, and magnesium, and antioxidants such as resveratrol and epicatechin.
Whole Eggs
Usually considered to be an unhealthy option, especially for heart patients as they contain high amounts of cholesterol, whole eggs still contain good fats. Studies done recently show that these eggs don’t have any negative impact on heart health (for most people) and can be consumed in moderate amounts to maintain a healthy diet.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, yes there are certain kinds of good fats that can prove to be beneficial to your body. While this is true, It is always important to remember that everything must be taken in moderation no matter how good it is for you and your body. Too much of anything can cause you more harm than good and the same goes for such high fat foods. Balancing your diet and only consuming these kinds of foods in moderation can help you go a long way in maintaining your health.
