If you are hoping to increase nutrition with foods high in fat, there are a limited number of foods you can eat to serve this purpose. Foods high in monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids are really the only types of fat that can help improve your health. Saturated fat and trans-fatty acids or trans fats can increase low-density lipoprotein, the bad form of cholesterol, while lowering high-density lipoprotein, the good form of cholesterol.
Step 1
Consume less fat. Although a certain amount of fat is important for proper nutrition, you still need to limit your intake of fat, even when eating healthier fats. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends you keep your total fat intake between 25 and 35 percent of your total calories.
Step 2
Swap out saturated fat for monounsaturated fat, urges the Mayo Clinic. The 25 to 35 percent of calories coming from total fat can include foods high in monounsaturated fat, such as peanut butter, avocados, olives, olive oil, macadamia nuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, soybeans, margarines and certain oils, such as peanut, canola and soy.
Step 3
Incorporate more foods containing polyunsaturated fats. The AHA advises that the 25 to 35 percent of calories coming from total fat can come from foods high in polyunsaturated fat, including vegetable oils, such as safflower, sunflower, cottonseed, soy and corn. You can also find this type of fat in fish, walnuts and sunflower seeds.
Step 4
Eat more fish. According to the Mayo Clinic, fish provides omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to help lower "bad" cholesterol while improving "good" cholesterol in the bloodstream. Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids tend to be cold-water fish, including tuna, salmon, herring, lake trout and mackerel. Two 3-oz. servings each week is a good goal for fish consumption, maintains the Mayo Clinic.
Step 5
Avoid "bad" fats, like saturated fat and trans-fatty acids. These types of fats, according to the AHA, can increase LDL cholesterol in your bloodstream. This can cause plaque to narrow and harden your arterial walls, leading to high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
Tips and Warnings
- One gram of fat is equivalent to 9 calories. To determine 25 percent of calories coming from healthier fats, multiply your daily caloric intake by 0.25. Divide this number by 9 to establish the low end of total fat intake. With 35 percent, multiply daily calories eaten by 0.35. Divide this number by 9 to establish the high end of total fat intake. Someone who eats 1,625 calories in a day can have anywhere between 45 and 63g of total fat.
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