A lot of people hear the words ‘fat’ and ‘food’ in the same sentence and recoil in horror.
But they shouldn’t.
Foods high in ‘good’ fat – that is, unsaturated fats in small doses – are some of the best to eat if you’re looking to drop weight, ’cause you need fat to aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, E, D and K. A bonus: good fats makes you feel full for longer.
But what actually constitutes a “good fat”? They’re usually called unsaturated fats, and they come in two forms: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. The poly version are known as essential fatty acids. They’re essential because our bods can’t make these naturally, so we need to get them from food. Unsaturated fats keep your arteries clear and pumping – quite the opposite of their cousin Bad Fat The French Fry.
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NUTS AND NUT BUTTERS
I don’t mean Craft Crunchy Peanut Butter or Nutella. I mean deeeeez nuts:
The preservative free kind. Cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts. A good rule of thumb is to make sure they’re closest to their natural form and unsalted. They’ll still taste good, promise. (Unless you’re deathly allergic.)
EGGS
They make your farts smell bad but that’s a small price to pay for the incredible protein and good fats these bad boys pack.
AVOCADO
Fantastic news for anyone who enjoys a cheeky spot of brunch.
They’re a superfood and a half.
They’ve got more potassium than bananas, they’re packed full of fibre (making your plops more regular, thank you very much) and they taste like a smooth, buttery miracle. They’re the tits.
Fork it up into guacamole, whack it onto some linseed with a bit of vegemite or use it as a spread in a salad sandwich. The possibilities with this humble fruit are basically endless.
SEEDS
They are more than just food for budgies, people. They may be small, but they are mighty – and they don’t have to be tasteless. Chia, pumpkin, flax and sunflower are all easy to incorporate into your everyday diet – whether it’s sprinkling onto your morning toast or throwing some chia atop your smoothie. Fibre manifest.
FRUIT AND VEGE OILS
(Just don’t fry a mars bar in this oil and you should be sweet.)
FISH
We know Kanye loves fish, so why can’t you too?
Varieties such as salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna are all high in omega-3 fatty acids. Cooking them will no doubt impress your flatmates, too. How Mediterranean of you.
OLIVES
Another stalwart of that fabled Mediterranean diet, the humble olive is a divisive little pipped creature.
You either love these slippery, salty little suckers, or hate them with every fibre of your being.
They contain a substantial amount of iron, oil and antioxidants. If that means nothing to you, they’re just basically great.
Photo: The Guacamole Song.
