5 Sources of Healthy Fats You May Want To Add To Your Diet

We’ve already the Top 10 High Protein Foods You Need To Be Eating and the Top 10 Best Carbohydrate Sources You Need To Be Eating. Now we’re going to cover the next of the three major macronutrients; Fats.

Fat is an often misunderstood macronutrient. For years it was believed that a low fat diet was the key to loosing weight, and so there was a rapid rise in the popularity of low fat foods. However not all fats are created equal, there’s some fats that are terrible for you and should be avoided but there are others that are hugely beneficial.

The ‘bad’ fats such as trans fats and saturated fats increase your risk of weight gain as well as your chances of suffering a stroke or heart disease. The good fats on the other hand, the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated have basically the opposite effect – they provide tons of energy, reduce inflammation, improve blood cholesterol levels and play key roles in the production of hormones including testosterone, as well as markets. Importantly for someone sticking to a strict diet they can keep you feeling fuller for longer and maintain your blood sugar levels between meals.

So what are the best sources of these healthy fats? Below we’ve put together a list of 5 brilliant sources of these healthy fats which would should consider including in your diet to keep you well fueled for training.

1 – Avocado

Avocados are the heavy hitters of the healthy fat world, half a fruit (75g) has 10g of fat, 7g of those being monounsaturated and another 1g polyunsaturated. Mash them with lime juice, a pinch of salt and some pepper to make a basic guacamole that tastes amazing with chicken, or add them sliced to a salad.

2 – Nuts and Seeds

These make brilliant on the go snacks, keep a pot full in your locker at work and just grab a handful when you need them. It obviously varies from nut to nut, but as a good example 25g of cashews has 11g of fats, 2g of saturated, 2g of polyunsaturated and 6g of monounsaturated.

3 – Oily Fish

The oily fishes are a spectacular source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are a type of polyunsaturated fats. Examples of oily fish are salmon, mackerel or sardines, all of which are great sources of protein too. A salmon fillet contains 15 grams of total fat, 3.5g are saturated, 5g polyunsaturated and 4.2g of monounsaturated fats. Grill them with a splash of lemon juice and some pepper, they taste delicious.

4 – Coconut oil

Coconut oil has become very popular in the last few years, and for good reason. Not only does it taste amazing, it’s packed full of tons of beneficial nutrients that makes it an ideal fat source. It’s heat stable (meaning it’s great for cooking), it has anti-inflammatory properties, helps to boost your immune system and it’s been shown to be very easy for your body to use for energy, and makes your metabolism work faster, so it helps you burn extra calories. Basically it’s a superfood, and it makes your morning eggs taste great.

5 – Olive Oil

This one seems fairly obvious, but olive oil is a great source of healthy fats, but rather than cooking with it, buy extra virgin, keep some handy in the cupboard and drizzle it directly on salad (or make a homemade dressing) or use it to add extra flavour to foods like vegetables.

There are many different sources of fats, and everyone’s preference is different, but these five are some of the best choices of good fats to include in your diet, which will be essential to help you reach your training goals.