However, these butters can be high in calories, so it is important to check the nutritional details of individual products before adding them to a balanced diet. For example, some peanut butters can contain more than kcal per g , while almond butters can contain more than kcal per g. This equates to roughly kcal per 2 tbsp serving of peanut butter, and kcal per 2 tbsp serving of almond butter.

Learn more about the differences between popular nut butters here. A staple of the Mediterranean diet , olives provide around Research reports that a compound in olives called oleuropein may help prevent diabetes. Researchers found that oleuropein helped the body secrete more insulin while also preventing the cytotoxic actions of a molecule called amylin amyloid that contributes to diabetes development.

Learn more about the nutritional content of olives here. Olive oil is full of monounsaturated fats that are good for heart health. It also contains vitamin E, vitamin K, and potent antioxidants. On average, 1 tbsp of olive oil contains kcal and 14 g of fat.

Research suggests olive oil consumption and replacing margarine, butter, mayonnaise, and dairy fat with an equivalent amount of olive oil is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and total cardiovascular disease.

Learn more about the health benefits of olive oil here. Tofu is a complete plant protein and a good source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

A g serving of firm tofu provides just over 4 g of fat. Learn more about tofu here. Full-fat natural yogurt contains good probiotic bacteria to support gut function. However, there is debate about the benefits of full fat yogurt in comparison to low fat options. Significant research suggests that full fat dairy products can play an important role in healthful diets, while the United States Department of Agriculture USDA recommends prioritizing low fat dairy products.

Learn everything you need to know about yogurt here. Monounsaturated fatty acids MUFAs and polyunsaturated fatty acids PUFAs are healthful fats that can:.

MUFAs and PUFAs also fight inflammation. The two most well-known PUFAs are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

These are essential fats that people must get from the food they eat because the body cannot make them. By contrast, people often consider saturated fats and trans fats unhealthful fats. Foods rich in these substances, such as butter and lard, are often solid at room temperature.

Artificial trans fats, which often appear on labels as partially hydrogenated oils, are also unhealthful. They trigger inflammation that may increase the risk of:. Fat is one of the three essential macronutrients the body needs, along with carbohydrates and protein.

A balanced diet should include healthful monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Some of the best sources of these fatty acids include avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish.

Eating a healthy diet is one way to keep cholesterol levels in check. Learn which foods to avoid and which to prioritize to maintain healthy…. Many people adopt a high-protein diet to try to lose weight. Healthful foods that are high in protein include lean meats, nuts, quinoa, and fish….

Eating a high protein diet can help people to lose fat and build muscle. Learn about foods that are high in protein. Recent research suggests that following the Atlantic diet, which is similar to the Mediterranean diet, may help prevent metabolic syndrome and other….

A new study showed that a Mediterranean or MIND diet improved women's cognitive health during midlife. The study of twins found that those…. My podcast changed me Can 'biological race' explain disparities in health?

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. What are the healthiest high fat foods? Medically reviewed by Imashi Fernando, MS, RDN, CDCES — By Jayne Leonard — Updated on January 5, Fatty fish Chia seeds Dark chocolate Eggs Avocado Flaxseed Nuts Nut and seed butter Olives Olive oil Tofu Yogurt Healthful vs.

unhealthful fats Summary Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, are both healthy fats. Fatty fish. Chia seeds. Dark chocolate. Nut and seed butter. Olive oil. Understanding healthful vs. unhealthful fats. How we reviewed this article: Sources.

Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles.

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Fats are especially important for infants and toddlers, because dietary fat contributes to proper growth and development.

Margaret McDowell. Problems arise, though, if we eat too much fat. Dietary fats have more than twice as many calories per gram as either proteins or carbohydrates like sugar and starch. Excess calories, of course, can pack on the pounds and raise your risk for diabetes, cancer and other conditions.

Foods can contain a mixture of different fats. These can promote health if eaten in the right amounts. They are generally liquid at room temperature, and are known as oils.

They tend to be solid at room temperature. Solid fats include butter, meat fats, stick margarine, shortening, and coconut and palm oils.

These fats tend to raise total blood cholesterol A waxy, fat-like substance that your body needs to function normally. A high level in the blood, however, is a major risk factor for heart disease.

Catherine Loria, an NIH expert on nutrition and heart health. NIH-funded studies have shown that replacing the solid fats in your diet with healthful unsaturated fats can have a positive impact.

But when it comes to risk factors for heart disease, replacing some carbohydrates with protein or unsaturated fats can greatly improve blood cholesterol. Eating healthy fats and less total fat can be especially challenging over the holidays, however.

One way to cut fat at holiday gatherings is to simply reduce your portion sizes. When preparing recipes, try to use lower-fat ingredients.

In general, bake, broil or grill instead of frying. Learn to read between the lines on Nutrition Facts labels. Nonfat cookies, crackers and other products may contain added sugar and salt to boost their flavor.

Added sugar can add calories, and too much salt can raise blood pressure. Dejunking Your Diet. Breaking Down Food.

Most come from animal sources, including meat and dairy products, as well as tropical fats like coconut, palm and palm kernel. For example, if you need about 2, calories a day, no more than of them should come from saturated fat. Remember the big picture, your overall eating pattern. Apply this general guidance regardless of where your food is prepared or consumed:.

As part of an overall heart-healthy dietary pattern , choose lean meats and poultry without skin. Prepare them without added saturated and trans fat. Eat foods made with liquid vegetable oil but not tropical oils.

It also means eating fish and nuts. You also might try to replace some of the meat you eat with beans or legumes. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fats — which are found in butter, cheese, red meat and other animal-based foods, and tropical oils.

The more important thing to remember is the overall dietary picture. Saturated fats are just one piece of the puzzle. The American Heart Association makes dietary recommendations only after carefully considering the latest scientific evidence.

Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisors. See our editorial policies and staff. Eat Smart. American Heart Association Cookbooks. Nutrition Basics. Healthy For Good: Spanish Infographics. Home Healthy Living Healthy Eating Eat Smart Fats Saturated Fat.

What are saturated fats? Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature. How do saturated fats affect my health? Common sources are nuts almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts, and walnuts and nut products, avocados, extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, high oleic safflower oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil.

Polyunsaturated fat. This type of fat is found mainly in plant-based foods, oils, and fish. Common sources are nuts walnuts, hazel nuts, pecans, almonds, and peanuts , soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, flaxseed oil, canola oil, and fish trout, herring, and salmon.

Saturated fat. This fat is found in animal products, dairy products e. butter, cream , palm and coconut oils, and cocoa butter. Limit these products to less than 10 percent of your overall dietary fat consumption. Trans fatty acids. Stick margarines, fast foods, commercial baked goods, and some snack foods contain trans fats.

Limit your consumption of these products to keep trans fats to less than 1 percent of your fat consumption. Omega-3 fatty acids alpha-linolenic acid. Good sources of these are canola oil, flaxseed oil, soybean oil, olive oil, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and green leafy vegetables.

DHA and EPA. Good sources of these are cod liver oil and fish such as tuna, herring, mackerel, salmon, and trout. Omega-6 fatty acids linoleic acid.

Eggs, poultry, most vegetable oils, wheat germ oil, whole grains, baked goods, and cereals contain these fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are present abundantly in nuts and seeds such as flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and watermelon seeds. Figure 6. Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids Recall that the body requires fatty acids and is adept at synthesizing the majority of these from fat, protein, and carbohydrate.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids. At the helm of the omega-3 fatty acid family is alpha-linolenic acid. From this fatty acid, the body can make eicosapentaenoic acid EPA and docosahexaenoic acid DHA. Linolenic acid is found in nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and vegetable oil such as soybean, canola, and flaxseed.

EPA and DHA are found abundantly in fatty fish. Omega-6 Fatty Acids. At the helm of the omega-6 fatty acid family is linoleic acid. Like linolenic acid, the body uses linoleic acid to make other important substances such as arachidonic acid ARA which is used to make eicosanoids. Recall that eicosanoids perform critical roles in the body as they affect a broad spectrum of functions.

The word eicosanoid originates from the Greek word eicosa , meaning twenty because this hormone is derived from ARA which is twenty carbon atoms in length. Eicosanoids affect the synthesis of all other body hormones and control all body systems, such as the central nervous system and the immune system.

Among the many functions eicosanoids serve in the body, their primary function is to regulate inflammation. Without these hormones, the body would not be able to heal wounds, fight infections, or fight off illness each time a foreign germ presented itself. Attain the Omega-3 and Omega-6 Balance As our food choices evolve, the sources of omega-6 fatty acids in our diets are increasing at a much faster rate than sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

Key Takeaways The recommended fat intake for adults is 20—35 percent of your total caloric intake. Saturated fat must be less than 10 percent of your total caloric intake, and lowering this to 7 percent can further reduce the risks for heart disease.

Trans fat should be less than 1 percent of total caloric intake. Nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and vegetable oil such as soybean, canola, and flaxseed are excellent sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The polyunsaturated fatty acids linolenic and linoleic acids are used by the body to make substances that carry out many vital functions in the body.

The omega-3 fatty-acid family includes alpha-linolenic acid, EPA, and DHA. The omega-6 fatty-acid family includes linoleic acid and ARA. DHA and ARA play crucial roles in the brain and eye development. EPA and DHA found in fatty fish play important roles in inflammation reduction and disease prevention.

Many people consume too many omega-6 fatty acids and not enough omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fats and omega-6 fats are precursors to hormones that have opposing properties. A proper balance between both must be obtained to avoid health problems. Discussion Starters State the recommended intake of total fat, as well as saturated versus unsaturated fat, in the diet.

List sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Summarize the important functions of essential fatty acids in the human body. Explain why it is necessary to maintain a proper balance between omega-3 fat and omega-6 fat intake. Record a food diary for one week.