Healthy fats as an important part of our diet? For many, fat has fallen into disrepute over the years due to fitness cults and diet concepts. As the number one enemy, it is blamed for obesity and seen as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, fats can also have a positive effect on our health, as they are important energy suppliers and have indispensable functions in our body.
Why healthy fats are better than their reputation, what foods you can find them in, and how to skillfully incorporate them into your everyday life can be found in this article.
What are healthy fats?
In addition to carbohydrates and protein, fat is one of the basic nutrients in our foods. It provides us with energy and is an important building block for the construction and maintenance of our cells. Therefore, it would be wrong to say that fat is unhealthy or bad per se. In truth, it is even vital. However, one must differentiate between two different groups of fats: saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
Large amounts of saturated fat lead to an increase in what is known as LDL cholesterol, which settles in the arteries and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. They can be found, for example, in animal products such as butter, cheese, bacon, meat, and sausage. (1)
Unsaturated fatty acids, on the other hand, help the organism transport the bad cholesterol to the liver, where it is eventually broken down. They, therefore, have a positive effect on heart health and also protect the nervous system. For this reason, unsaturated fatty acids are an integral part of a healthy diet .
Unsaturated fatty acids can in turn be divided into two groups: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. While the former are found in foods such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, avocados, and nuts, the latter are found in flaxseed, nuts, rapeseed oil, and fatty fish such as salmon or mackerel. They also include omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
Why do we need healthy fats?
First and foremost, fat is an important energy supplier because one gram of fat provides a remarkable 9 kcal, which is more than twice the energy that protein or carbohydrates provide. But this is not the only task that fat takes on in our organism. For example, fat encloses our organs and protects them from injury in this way. In addition, healthy fats promote cell growth, protect our cells from diseases, and are needed for the transport of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
What do healthy fats do?
Because healthy fats carry bad cholesterol out of our arteries, they reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. This is also demonstrated by a 2018 study conducted by Harvard University. (1)
Instead of the unhealthy LDL cholesterol, unsaturated fatty acids produce what is known as HDL cholesterol. Its job is to pick up LDL and transport it to the liver, where it is broken down and ultimately excreted. However, in order for healthy fats to fulfill their task, the consumption of saturated fatty acids must also be reduced.
The main sources of unsaturated fatty acids
Healthy fats are not found exclusively but predominantly in plant-based foods. For example, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils contain a considerable proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. But fish species such as tuna, salmon, and mackerel are also among the best sources of healthy fats.
Information about the fat content of various foods, and whether they contain saturated or unsaturated fatty acids, can be found in the nutritional table printed on the packaging.
Nuts and seeds as healthy sources of fat
The most popular sources of healthy fats include nuts and seeds. Hazelnuts, walnuts, and others contain only a few saturated fatty acids and a whole lot of healthy, unsaturated fatty acids. The same applies to seeds of all shapes and colors, such as flaxseeds or chia seeds . Among other things, they provide the body with important omega-3 fatty acids and thus support the heart and brain in their functions.
Chocolate Pudding Oats with Walnuts
Ingredients
- 70 g oatmeal
- 25 g pudding powder (chocolate)
- 125 ml plant-based drink
- 400 ml water
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. maple syrup
- 15 g walnuts
- 1 tsp cocoa nibs
- 1 tsp almond sauce
Preparation
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First, put the oatmeal in a pot together with the pudding powder, cocoa powder, water, and plant-based drink.
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If you want, you can add some more maple syrup to sweeten it.
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Boil the pudding oats and stir well with a whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. At first, the mixture will still be very liquid, but after a few minutes, it will gradually become thicker.
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When the mixture begins to thicken, turn off the heat and continue stirring for another minute.
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Then remove the pudding oats from the stove and leave them to stand for about 2 minutes.
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You can use different nuts or seeds as a topping. We used walnuts and cocoa nibs, as well as some almond sauce as a topping for the pudding oats.
Healthy fats for breakfast
It is best to provide your body with healthy fats in the morning at breakfast, so it is optimally supplied throughout the day. With the breakfast products from Verival, it's easy because with our ingenious ingredient lists, you don't have to worry about a sufficient supply of nutrients.
For example, our popular Sport Protein Porridge cocoa banana contains a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in addition to high-quality vegetable protein.
If that's not enough, you can add another oatmeal topping with nuts. Especially recommended is nut butter, such as the organic crunchy almond butter from Verival. If the almonds are finely ground, the nutrients contained in them can be better absorbed by the body.
