EAT ME Week: Day 4: Let's Get Fat!

Today is a tribute to healthy fats!

Healthy fats are amazing & full of so many good things you should be putting into your body. Fats are NOT created equal. Trans fats you should pretty much never put into your body. Monounsaturated fats however, you should definitely be making room for them in your daily life. I'm not going to save the best for last, I'm going to start with it. Ladies & gentlemen, may I reintroduce you to the Avocado:

Avocados are one of nature's most perfect foods. Not only are they a top-choice healthy monounsaturated fat, they are loaded with fiber and potassium (more than a banana!), have B vitamins (metabolism) and vitamin c. If you're like most humans, you love guacamole - Make your own fresh & fall in love all over again. I like using half an avocado in my salads. Studies have also shown that people who do eat 1/2 to a whole avocado during a meal have increased extended satiety, which means it keeps  you fuller longer and consume less calories over the next 4-6 hours than those who went sans 'cado. They are also good for your heart and decrease inflammation. They also offer a great replacement to mayonnaise in your sandwiches. Some people also use them in making smoothies and chocolate fudge!

Double your nutrient power by having some of these healthy fats that also contain Omega-3s:
Salmon
Chia Seed
Flax Seed
Tuna

Don't forget nuts: Almonds, Peanuts, Cashews, Pistachios, Walnuts and Pecans are all good choices. Mix it up!

Instead of butter, try using coconut oil instead. This is great not just for breads, but also in basic cooking, even coating your pan. Coconut oil is a saturated fat, which means it is solid in room temperature. This is normally a negative thing when in reference to saturated fats found in meat, but not with coconut oil. Coconut oil is also a great medium to mix other essentials oils with and has anti-bacterial properties.

Olives & olive oil are good as well.

Now that you are hopefully less scared of fats & you plan on making room for them in your next meal planning day, I will remind you that yes, fat does have calories and a significant amount of them. It would be great if we could all eat four avocados a day, or drown everything with half a cup of olive oil, but alas, it does not work that way. An avocado a day is great, mixing your own olive oil & balsamic vinegar for dressing is great, and a handful of nuts as a mid-afternoon snack is also great. Healthy fats have so many added benefits that you really should value them for all their worth like an investment in your body.

Now, let's have some guac!

:)

~ Samantha