Monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFAs, are the healthy oils found in many plant foods, and they make up the core of the Flat Belly Diet. These fats are beneficial in that they are packed with nutrients, are filling, taste good and are in their unprocessed natural state. MUFAs are in oils, nuts and seeds, avocados, olives and dark chocolate. Still, according to the Mayo Clinic, research does not indicate that this diet is more efficient at helping you shed pounds than any other balanced diet.
Oils
You can use olive oil in salads and fully prepared dishes like pasta. Make sure it is the higher quality extra virgin oil, saving the regular, less expensive oil for cooking below 375 Fahrenheit. Canola oil, refined peanut oil, sesame oil and walnut oil can all be used at high heat and are flavorful. Flaxseed oil is not a good choice for cooking or frying, because heat destroys the full benefit of its nutritional value. Safflower and sunflower oils, which should be unrefined and high-oleic because this gives them higher MUFA concentrations, are excellent for cold dishes like pasta salads and gazpachos.
Nuts and Seeds
You can buy whole nuts affordably in bulk. They keep about two to three months in a cool, dark place. A MUFA serving for most nuts is 2 tablespoons. All nuts--from almonds to cashews to pine nuts and pistachios--are MUFAs, and they can be used for cooking and baking, in salads or as snacks. Keep seeds, when they are whole, in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Of the legume family, only green soybeans and peanuts are MUFAs.
Avocados
The versatile avocado is a MUFA food packed with carotenoids. You can use it as a spread on bread or burgers, slice it into a salad or make it into a dip. Avocados come in the wrinkled Hass variety from California or the larger Florida variety with smooth skin. Buy them almost ripe or just barely ripe unless you plan to use them immediately. They ripen within two or three days, but you can speed up the process by putting the avocado into a brown paper bag and leaving it out on your kitchen counter.
Olives
Rich in vitamin E in addition to MUFA, olives are a treat in whatever variety you choose: green, black or brown. Unpasteurized, fresh, whole olives are preferable over pasteurized olives in a jar, but even those contain valuable MUFAs. Olives go well with chicken, salads and sauces, and keep longest when refrigerated.
Dark Chocolate
Full of MUFAs, dark chocolate can be used guilt-free in many ways. Put it into a muffin mix, waffle or pancake batter, or grate some into yogurt. It also goes well with fruit. Just make sure to choose chocolate with at least 60 percent cocoa; do not bake with it, because heat changes the taste, not always for the better; and store it in a cool, dry place in its original wrapping without refrigerating it.
References
- "Flat Belly Diet!"; Liz Vaccariello, Cynthia Sass, and David L. Katz M.D. MPH; 2009
- The Mayo Clinic: Fat Belly Diet: Can it Help You Lose Weight?
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