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In Part 1 of this two-part series I examined why high fat food often gets such a bad rap. If I have reassured you that eating some high-fat foods will not harm your health when chosen wisely and eaten sensibly then, great! And, while this is true for most people, if you are already following dietary advice from your Medical Practitioner for a specific purpose then please continue to do so.
Welcome now to Part 2, where I show you my Top 10 favourite high-fat foods and why I include them in my diet. Hopefully, I'll dispel one or two common myths while I am at it.
I've mentioned the percentage value of saturated fats only in my nutrient analysis. All these foods also contain poly-unsaturated, mono-unsaturated, and Omegas 3 & 6 healthy fats and, together, make up the remainder of the fat content.
My Top 10 Are:
Chia Seeds
A 28g serving has a saturated fat content a little over 10%. They are very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. They are also a good source of Calcium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fibre and Manganese.
Why I Like Them: I love to sprinkle some on my yogurt for a little 'crunch' and because of the little extra protein source they provide. I do believe that some people use Chia Seeds to thicken home-made jam. I must try that some time!
Eggs
A large egg (c50g) yields about 5g of fat. The saturated fat content is around 30%. Eggs are a good source of Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B12 and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Protein and Selenium.
Why I like Them: I like to eat them scrambled on some wholemeal or rye toast.
Debunking The Egg Myth: Eggs have one of the lowest energy to nutrient density ratios of any food, and contain a quality of protein that is superior to beef steak and similar to dairy. From a nutritional perspective, this must qualify eggs as 'good'. The greater burden of proof has been to establish that eggs are not 'bad', by increasing awareness of the difference between dietary and blood cholesterol and accumulating sufficient evidence to exonerate eggs from their associations with cardio-vascular disease and diabetes. After 60 years of research, a general consensus is that dietary cholesterol, chiefly from eggs, presents a very small risk when compared with other diet and lifestyle factors. (Ref: Bruce A Griffin et al, PubMed)
Avocado
A saturated fat content of 14.6% might sound high for an avocado, but avocados are very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. They are also a good source of Dietary Fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Folate.
Why I Like Them: I just love the creamy, smooth texture of avocado flesh. Luckily for me, I live in a place where they are grown in abundance (I am even lucky enough to be given bags of freshly picked avocados direct from my friend's finca!). They are a great source of healthy fats when I want a quick lunch with either salad, or simply crushed and spread on top of rye crackers with some black pepper; YUM!
Debunking The Avocado Myth: Avocados have been given a particularly bad rap. This is because of the misconception held that they are high in cholesterol and therefore bad for your health. This is not true; however, being relatively high in calories, they can contribute to weight gain.
Olives (Green)
Every 100g of olives equals roughly 15.3g of fat, of which saturates is a mere 2g (only 13%). If you think the percentage seems high, look again at the actual numbers and you'll see it's not so bad. Olives are very low in Cholesterol. They are also a good source of Vitamin E.
Why I Like Them: I live in Andalucia, virtually in the heart of olive-producing country. I once had an olive grove and when the harvest came my Spanish neighbours would spend the weekend collecting these wonderful gems from my trees. As a thank you, they always returned with litres of extra-virgin oil. I haven't bought Olive Oil for years! You simply cannot live here without olives being part of your staple diet. I love them!
Butter (Salted)
A 28g serving of butter contains about 22.7g of fat of which saturates, 14.4g which is over 60%, so this is pretty high. At 99% fat overall, there's nothing good to say about butter, BUT, you are getting a decent dose of vitamins and minerals (especially Vit. A). Unsalted butter fares no better either, but just might help alleviate your hypertension worries!
Why I like Them: My husband hates unsalted butter (he reckons he can tell the difference, even in my cake bakes!). To be honest, I much prefer the flavour of salted butter myself so I make our salt savings elsewhere.
Debunking The Butter Myth (well, sort of!): Butter is something else that has received a bad rap over the years but, quite frankly, I'd sooner have pats of full-fat butter in my fridge than processed margarine any day of the week! Indeed, on balance, we know that full-fat products tend to be more nutrient-dense, we just don't want to be spreading it on too thick!
Steak (Top Loin/Sirloin)
Your average serving of sirloin can contain anything up to 40% saturated fat so, again, quite high when compared to its other, healthier, fat content (and, YES, beef also contains healthy fats!) Beef is low in Sodium and is also a good Niacin (Vitamin B3), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Phosphorus and Zinc, and a very good source of Protein and Selenium.
Why I Like It: Friday night used to be steak night when I was growing up at home, and was always such a treat. I don't eat it so much nowadays as I prefer white meat and fish to red meat in general. That said, I just cannot resist a flavour-filled steak straight from the restaurant griddle. Steak is high in Cholesterol, however, so I keep it as an occasional treat for that reason.
Bacon (cured, raw weight)
28g of bacon yields roughly 12.6g of fat. Saturated fat makes up about 33% of this. OK, I admit, this is a bit of a 'bad boy'. Bacon is high in Cholesterol too.
Why I Like It: I'll just say this - if you can walk past a "Big Al's Cafe" without being lured in by the smell of a bacon butty, you're a better man than me Gunga Din! Sorry, I just can't resist the smell of cooked bacon. What a good thing there aren't many "Big Al's" nearby! I won't say "No!" to a bacon roll though!
Peanut Butter (smooth, without salt)
A tablespoon contains roughly 16g of fat, with saturated fat making up about 20%. Peanut butter is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium, and is a good source of Niacin and Manganese.
Why I Like It: I like adding a dollop to my protein shake after a workout for that nice nutty flavour. I also like to spread a thin amount on a slice of toast as an occasional snack.
Cheese (Cheddar)
A cup of melted cheddar (244g) contains 81g of fat, with saturated fat making up a pretty whopping 63.5%! Cheese is a good source of Protein, Calcium and Phosphorus.
Why I Like It: I'll be honest, I love pretty much ALL cheese varieties and love eating it grated with a jacket potato, with salad, in a sandwich, melted on toast (my favourite, hence the analysis). Just call me "Wallace"! It's right up there in the high-fat stakes so I don't have it every day.
Milk Chocolate
A 44g serving contains about 13g of fat with a saturated fat content of 62%. Milk chocolate is low in Cholesterol and very low in Sodium. What's not so good is its high Saturated Fat content and much of the Calories comes from sugar.
Why I Like It: BECAUSE IT'S CHOCOLATE, 'NOUGH SAID! I don't go mad; maybe a couple of squares (or four!) after dinner and when cozied up in front of the TV at the end of a long day. It's good for the soul!
In concluding this series on high-fat foods, I think about my reasons for choosing this as a subject to write about so early in my journey to becoming an MNU Certified Nutritionist. I had two compelling reasons:
Firstly, in today's Social Media age, we're bombarded with health and fitness 'Influencers' and mass marketing campaigns, telling us to "eat this, not that"; "drink this and achieve (insert honed, photo-shopped abs) in X weeks"; "This is the ONLY diet you will EVER need"; etc, etc. This list goes on. Whilst there are some very credible people out there, conscientious, evidence-based Nutritionists are, nevertheless, met with confused, muddled people who come asking for help when all these "proven" methods fail and this causes much distress. Sadly, what we also (and too often) see as a result of all this, are people who have developed an unhealthy relationship with food, even leaning towards Disordered Eating.
Secondly, Government Guidelines can often be misleading when it comes to advice regarding fat intake. This is not intentional but while it's important to lower our saturated fat intake and eat a healthy diet, some common sense and balance is called for. We recognise that Public Guidelines (such as the UK Government Eatwell Guide) can only generalise and cannot cater for individualised needs. Such needs are for each person to seek for themselves. It's the job of Certified Nutrition Coaches and Dieticians to help and advise their clients on what works best for them.
The Take Home Message From Parts 1 and 2 Of This Series:
- High-Fat food is not the enemy, neither is Saturated Fat in isolation. High-Fat food is nutrient-dense and helps our bodies absorb essential Vitamins: A, D, E and K which are essential for our optimal health.
- Trans-Fats and partially Hydrogenated Fats are identified as being the main cause of heart disease and other serious health conditions such as diabetes and some cancers.
- Our health is important but focusing on diet alone is not enough, other lifestyle factors (sleep quality, stress management and movement) are also important.
- Diets, be they for weight maintenance, weight loss, or even weight gain, should be enjoyable, flexible, individualised, and based on personal preferences.
- People are not robots and can be easily misled. Disordered Eating is a dangerously on the rise, largely due to Social Media and self-proclaimed 'Experts' all vying for your money.
- Your Nutritionist is human! ;-)
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