A Guide to Healthy Fats vs. Unhealthy Fats—Including How Much You Need Daily and the Best Ways to Eat Them
Oh, fat. Americans have a somewhat troubled history with this key macronutrient (one of three, along with protein and carbs), and it's created a lot of fear and misinformation in the general public over the nutritional value of fats. As scientific studies in the mid-1900s began to show a link between diets high in fat and heart disease, Americans, under the guidance of their doctors, began to move toward lower-fat diets—even those who were not at high risk for heart disease. As a result, by the late '80s, the low-fat diet became almost an ideology, with devotees subsisting on fat-free yogurt, margarine, and carbohydrates.
Since then, however, we've come to realize, through both research and observational study, that there's a lot more nuance to the role that dietary fats play in our overall health. In recent years we've even seen the rise of diets like the Ketogenic diet, which places a strong emphasis on consuming healthy fat in amounts up to 70 percent of recommended daily caloric intake.
With all this conflicting information, it can be hard to know what to do if you want to follow a healthy diet. Should we be avoiding fat, or scarfing it down? Is there a difference in what kinds of fats we consume, and if so, how do we know which is the "good" fat and which is "bad"? We tapped a nutritionist to get the full low-down on healthy vs. unhealthy fats so you can spend less time scouring the internet for scientific studies, and more time enjoying balanced meals—which, yes, should include healthy amounts and types of fat.
Healthy vs. Unhealthy Fats, Explained
First, let's get a few things straight: It is true that not all fats are healthy for you. As a general rule, saturated and trans fats are considered unhealthy, while unsaturated fats are considered healthy. However, as with most things, it tends to be a little more complicated than that black-and-white statement. For example, avocados are made up of mostly monounsaturated fats, but do contain a small amount of saturated fat. This doesn't mean that avocados get tossed into the unhealthy fat bucket, but rather that they're a mostly nutritious food that should be eaten in moderation.
Trans Fats and Saturated Fats: The "Bad"
Trans fats are a particularly problematic form of unsaturated fat that can be found naturally in small amounts in meat and dairy products. But most trans fat is created through an industrial process called hydrogenation, which extends the shelf life of vegetable oils. Because of their low cost and far-off expiration dates, trans fats are found in many shelf-stable and processed food items, as well as in many restaurant deep fryers, since it has to be changed less often than its healthier fatty counterparts.
Diets that include a lot of unsaturated and trans fats have been shown through numerous research studies to raise your "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and lower your "good" cholesterol (HDL), which can increase your risk of heart disease. Based on a major review of the research on diet and heart disease risk published by the American Heart Association, a team of experts offered a Presidential Advisory that states: "The scientific rationale for decreasing saturated fat in the diet has been and remains based on well-established effects of saturated fat to raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, a leading cause of atherosclerosis." Consuming trans fats has also been linked to increased inflammation in the body, which can result in a number of chronic health conditions from diabetes to arthritis.
Unsaturated Fats: "The Good"
Healthy fats, on the other hand, are typically monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and naturally come from whole foods including fruits, nuts, seeds, and fish. When you hear people raving about the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids, for example, they're talking about a heart-healthy polyunsaturated fat that can be found in fatty fish, algae, and flaxseeds.
"Healthy fats help you stay healthy and live an energized, disease-free life, while unhealthy fats can contribute to chronic disease and sap your energy. And they've been shown to boost your risk of certain health conditions," says Kate Geagan (MS, RD) a consultant and a sustainable food and nutrition expert.
Benefits of Eating Healthy Fats
So now that we know the risks associated with consuming certain fats, why not just go fat-free altogether? Well, in addition to how disappointing life would be without olive oil and avocados, there are some important health benefits to be found from including the right kinds of fat into your diet.
"Fats are far more than just the number of calories or grams of fat on the Nutrition Facts panel, or even the 'type' of fats that we think about (such as monounsaturated fats)," says Geagan. "When it comes to fats, some play a vital role in longevity and vitality because they provide a whole beneficial spectrum of protective, healing benefits in every bite." According to the American Heart Association, including unsaturated fats in your meals and snacks lowers rates of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, as well as providing essential nutrients your body can't produce itself.
Olive oil, for example, is a staple for people who follow the health-promoting Mediterranean Diet, and for good reason. High-quality olive oils like Pompeian Extra Virgin olive oil are rich in powerful polyphenols (such as oleocanthal and oleuropein) that significantly reduce inflammation and protect your cells from DNA damage. " Daily consumption of EVOO can lower blood pressure and improve the function of the lining of the blood vessels," says Geagan. "Researchers have found that this abundance of antioxidants i EVOO may provide additional protection against cardiovascular disease and stroke. One landmark study found that for every 10g per day increase in EVOO consumption, cardiovascular disease risk dropped by 10 percent."
How Much Healthy Fat Should You Eat Per Day?
If unsaturated fats are good for us, does that mean we can eat them in unlimited quantities? You might want to put away the jumbo-sized guac container—as you might have predicted, the old adage "everything in moderation" applies to healthy fats, as well. "The USDA recommends healthy adults aim for 20-35 percent of their calories from fat, while for children it can be as high as 40," advises Geagan.
She recommends that people start making swall swaps that don't increase daily caloric value to reap all the benefits. For example, switching out vegetable oil for olive oil in cooking, or using avocado on a sandwich in place of mayo or extra cheese. Going over the recommended daily values for healthy fats will not increase the benefits, and could make it hard to maintain a healthy weight (which is another key component of overall health).
The Best Sources of Healthy Fats
Luckily, healthy fats can be found in an abundance of delicious, satiating foods: Geagan especially recommends these top natural sources of healthy fats:
- Olive oil
- Avocados
- Seeds
- Nuts and nut butters (just watch out for added sugar in store-bought brands)
- Oily, omega-3-rich fish (like salmon, barramundi, tuna, sardines, mackerel, and trout)
For a well-balanced meal, try seared salmon with Israeli couscous, rich in omega-3s and dressed with olive oil, or add an almond crust to your weeknight chicken. Reach for healthy snacks like mixed nuts (just make sure they're not roasted in vegetable oil!), half an avocado sprinkled with salt and chili flakes, or no-bake nut and seed bars. Or dip crunchy veggies and healthy crackers into creamy, olive-oil-drizzled hummus.
At the end of the day, Geagan reminds us that we should be enjoying the fat sources we choose to include in our diets. "Taste and flavor are key to enjoying your food and enjoying your life!" she says. "One of the really amazing benefits of the Mediterranean diet is that its delicious taste is one of the key secrets behind its power to effect such lasting change. People are much more willing to stick with an eating style they find filled with delicious food." And good fats are absolutely part of that.