Do you ever find yourself still hungry after a meal? Did you include a healthy fat source? Fats are one of the three macronutrients. They are calorically more dense, providing 9 kcal per gram compared to the other two macronutrients, protein and carbohydrate, which each provide 4 kcals per gram. Fats can help us feel fuller for longer which can carry us until our next meal and can help curb excessive snacking.
Fats provide other benefits to our body such as: energy, hormone production, nutrient absorption, organ protection, cell growth, and help to regulate body temperature. The dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) for fat intake is between 20-35% of total dietary calories for adults 19 years and older.
Needless to say, fat is an essential nutrient often overlooked! By choosing the right type and choosing appropriate portion sizes for your needs, fat is an important component of eating a healthy, nutritious diet.
Types of fat
Saturated Fats – Use Sparingly
Consuming high amounts of Saturated fat can elevate bad cholesterol (LDL) which increase risk of heart disease. They are solid at room temperature and are naturally found in animal products such as meat and full-fat dairy products but also in plant oils like coconut and palm oils.
Trans Fat – Avoid when possible
One type of trans fat naturally occurs in the gut of some animals. Foods made from animals (milk, meats) may have small quantities of this type of fat. Trans fatty acid or artificial trans is exactly how it sounds.
It is made in a industrial process where hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid. This type of fat increases LDL (unhealthy) cholesterol and lowers the healthy (HDL), increases risk for heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
Did you Know?
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) are the kinds of healthy fats to include when creating meals.
There are two types of PUFA’s that are considered essential? Omega-3 and Omega-6. They are considered essential because our bodies cannot produce them on our own therefore we need to get them from a food source. Omega-6 is commonly found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. They post many health benefits including lowering blood levels of triglycerides, decrease unhealthy levels of cholesterol, help raise healthy cholesterol and reduce risk of Coronary Artery disease.
Dietary Sources
There are 3 nutritionally important types of Omega 3’s recommended to implement into your diet.
Alpha-linolenic or ALA for short
- Flaxseed oil, Soybean oil, canola oil (use in salad dressings)
- Nuts and Seeds: walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds and ground flaxseed (add it to yogurt, breakfast cereals)
- Edamame
- Fortified foods: Eggs (chickens are given feed that are high in Omega 3’s which their egg will contain. Check the package label
Docosahexaenoic acid or the common shorthand name, DHA and Eicosapentaenoic acid known as EPA:
- Fish and other seafood in particular cold-water fatty fish: trout, salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, steelhead and sardines.
