Healthy fats…what?! Oftentimes these are two words that are never seen in the same sentence.
Fat is essential for the body as it supports several everyday functions. In order to live a healthy lifestyle, it is essential to choose healthy fats. When we are looking at the nutrition label, we want to stay away from ALL trans fats. These are the enemy as they increase our bad cholesterol and lower our good cholesterol.
Bad fats increasing our risk for:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Type II diabetes.
Saturated fats are closely related. Although there is conflicting evidence in which it is not known whether saturated fats are linked with heart disease and high cholesterol, it is recommended to limit these as much as possible.
Betsy’s Facts About Healthy Fats:
Now, let’s get to the good stuff; monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats!
Monounsaturated Fats:
- Nuts are heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that are full of fiber, packed with protein, dense vitamin and mineral bits of magic. Betsy’s Best Gourmet Nut and Seed Butters feature some of the most healthy nuts, and a spoonful or two will leave you satisfied and happily reaping all of the benefits.
- Avocados are also a high, monounsaturated fatty food. Avocados are high in vitamin E, C, B6 and folate, high in fiber, high in antioxidants AND should be a high priority on your grocery list. You name it, you can add avocado to it: salads, pizza, soup, salsa, eggs, sandwiches and even smoothies.
- Olive oil, safflower oil, and sesame oil are also high in monounsaturated fats and help to combat bad cholesterol and aim to keep healthy cells in the body.
Polyunsaturated Fats:
Polyunsaturated fats are another type of healthy fat typically found in plant and animal foods that aim to improve cholesterol levels in the body.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat that are especially healthy for the heart. It is recommended to consume fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout) at least two times per week due to their high omega-3 content.
- Chia seeds, one of Betsy’s favorite ingredients, are also high in omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to helping improve cholesterol health, chia seeds provide iron, calcium, antioxidants, fiber and several other healthy benefits. And best of all, chia seeds can be added to anything…literally anything.
- Other great sources of polyunsaturated fats include healthy oils (like sunflower or safflower oil used in all of Betsy’s butters), flaxseed and eggs.
So the MVP of the healthy fats goes to those Mono & Poly-unsaturated fats! Hip hip hooray, eating healthy fats is good for you today! So take a spoon and dig in and feel good knowing that each bite of Betsy’s Best is doing your body good!
Were these facts about healthy fats helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
Try Betsy's Yummy Healthy Recipes with Nut Butters
