Have a party and serve plenty of guacamole made of avocados -- the days of the low-fat diet are over. As it turns out, not all fats are bad; in fact, they're an essential part of a healthy diet. There are good fats and bad fats, though, so choose wisely and limit heart-damaging saturated and trans fats. Instead, choose healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Avocado
Avocado is rich in monounsaturated fats, which lower harmful LDL cholesterol, raise heart-protective HDL cholesterol and prevent heart disease and stroke. Foods rich in monounsaturated fats include avocado, olives, olive and canola oils, sesame and pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, almonds and pecans. About 40 percent of daily calories in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and its adherents face a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds contain polyunsaturated fats, which are healthy when they replace saturated and trans fats and are consumed in moderation. The American diet is abundant in sources of polyunsaturated fats, such as soybean and safflower oils. These fats are also found in walnuts, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and fish, in a special group of polyunsaturated fats called omega-3 essential fatty acids.
Fatty Fish
Fatty fish contain omega-3 essential fatty acids, a special class of polyunsaturated fats that confer important health benefits but are difficult to get enough of in the diet. Omega-3 fats are found in fatty, cold-water fish, such as wild salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring and sardines. They're also found in canola oil, walnuts, flaxseed oil and flaxseeds, although it isn't known how well the body absorbs omega-3 fats from plant sources. Omega-3 fats reduce blood clotting, lower the risk of deadly abnormal heart rhythms, slow the growth of fatty deposits in arteries and lower blood pressure and triglycerides. Eat two servings of fatty fish per week, and consider taking an omega-3 supplement, according to HelpGuide.org.
Recommendations
Fats should make up 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories, according to the American Heart Association. Limit the saturated fat in your diet to 7 percent of your calories and trans fats to just 1 percent. If you eat about 2,000 calories per day, consume no more than 16 g of saturated fat and 2 g of trans fat. Avoid trans fats by scouring ingredients for hydrogenated vegetable oil -- even foods labeled trans-fat free or that don't list trans fat on the nutrition label can contain 0.5 g, and eating multiple foods with small amounts of this damaging fat can easily push you over the limit.
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