Fat is an important part of a healthy diet, but it's important to choose good fats, like monounsaturated fats, to protect your health. Though monounsaturated fats are high in calories, just like all fats, eating them can help lower your total cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. There are many foods with monounsaturated fats to choose from; however, these foods often contain small amounts of other kinds of fat as well as monounsaturated fat.
Oils
Peanut oil, olive oil and canola oil are all good sources for monounsaturated fat. Try substituting olive oil for butter or margarine when you're cooking, or use olive oil to make a marinade for fish or chicken.
Nuts
Almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, peanuts and cashews are rich in monounsaturated fats. Serve nuts instead of chips as a side for your sandwich or sprinkle nuts over your salad instead of adding bacon or eggs. Peanut butter is also a good source of monounsaturated fat; use peanut butter instead of plain butter on your toast for extra healthy fat.
Avocados
Avocados are an excellent source of monounsaturated fat. Substitute avocados for cheese in your favorite sandwich recipe or mash it up to make a healthy dip for vegetables.
Seeds
Like nuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are full of healthy monounsaturated fat. Sunflower seeds are a good addition to salads and are a nice addition to rice dishes. Roasted pumpkin seeds are a good stand-in for potato chips when you are looking for a snack.
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