To meet national guidelines, about 25 to 35 percent of calories in your diet should come from fat, with most of those coming from unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats. All dietary fats are a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fats, but you can choose foods that are much higher in unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats provide the most health benefits when you eat them in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Vegetable Oils
Most vegetable oils are highly unsaturated, and they can lower your cholesterol levels when you use them instead of saturated fats such as butter, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Oils, such as sunflower, safflower, soybean and corn oils, provide essential omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as vitamin E, an antioxidant. Although they are plant-based oils, the fats in palm and coconut oil are mostly saturated.
Olives and Avocados
Olives and avocados are high in monounsaturated fats, which may lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol in your blood, according to the Mayo Clinic. They are also good for your cholesterol because of their dietary fiber. Other good sources of monounsaturated fats include canola oil, peanut oil and olive oil. Olives have about 80 calories per 100 g, and avocados have about 160 calories per 100 g, so limit your intake to avoid unwanted weight gain.
Nuts
Nuts are rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and they are low in saturated fats. Other heart-healthy nutrients in them include folic acid and vitamin E, as well as cholesterol-lowering dietary fiber and phytosterols, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. They are naturally high in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. Peanuts are nutritionally similar to nuts, so they also belong in this category along with tree nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, almonds, cashews and macadamias.
Fatty Fish
Some of the unsaturated fats in fatty fish are long-chain omega-3 fatty acids called EPA and DHA. These polyunsaturated fatty acids are especially healthy because they may lower your risk for cardiac death, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Eat two servings per week of fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, herring, sardines or anchovies. These fish also provide calcium and vitamin D, which are essential nutrients for your bones.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Nuts; Jane Higdon; December 2005
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- Mayo Clinic; MUFAs: Why Should My Diet Include These Fats?; Katherine Zeratsky; November 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Essential Fatty Acids; Jane Higdon; December 2005
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Fruits and Fruit Juices
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