Sources of good fat?

AdobeTree
AdobeTree Posts: 49 Member
edited December 18 in Food and Nutrition
Hi! I am on a 1200 calorie diet and consistently find myself not getting enough fat in my diet. I eat a snack of peanuts a few times per week and am looking for more ideas on how to incorporate good fats. Any ideas?

Thanks! :happy:

Replies

  • MNHoliday
    MNHoliday Posts: 20
    Peanuts, out.

    Go with:
    Almonds
    Walnuts
    Avocado
    Coconut oil/milk
    Olive oil
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,728 Member
    2 tsps. of olive oil any way you want them. I add a tsp. to my eggs in the morning or on my chicken for dinner. I sometimes sprinkle it on popcorn.

    Avocados in salad.

    I dip apples in almond butter.
  • warmachinejt
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,162 Member
    peanut butter 24/7 but too high cal
  • Jamie2007
    Jamie2007 Posts: 169
    Peanut butter, almonds, olive oil.

    Simply Jif creamy peanut butter is fantastic. I eat 1 Tbsp. on rice cakes.
  • stephaneb74
    stephaneb74 Posts: 151 Member
    that plus fatty fish like salmon, maquerel, even canned sardines are good
  • aejbx4x7s
    aejbx4x7s Posts: 111
    In addition to nuts, I get fat from eggs and dairy (unless you're a vegan). I drink whole milk and eat full-fat yogurt. I find them more filling and, as vitamin D is fat soluble, a great source of vitamins and nutrients.
  • chris1816
    chris1816 Posts: 715 Member
    Salmon <--- This is where the fuggin money is at. If you like sashimi, go to town on these fishies.
    Tuna
    Almonds or Almond Butter
    Chia Seeds/Powder
    Avocado
    Olive Oil
    Hemp Hearts/Powder
    Flax Seeds/Powder

    Also, eggs, specifically ones from a local farm where the chickens are allowed to run around and eat bugs and whatever the *kitten* else chickens eat when not kept in lame cages.

    The reason why is those eggs will have a metric *kitten* ton of Omega 3 fatty acids. You also get a ton of protein, and micronutrients such as choline which people are typically deficient in.

    Never eat eggs raw, that is for morons.
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
    AVACADOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    These used to be a "treat" food to me until I leaned they weren't AS high in calories as I thought and super good for you.

    Eat them. Theyre effing delicious.
  • chris1816
    chris1816 Posts: 715 Member
    AVACADOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    These used to be a "treat" food to me until I leaned they weren't AS high in calories as I thought and super good for you.

    Eat them. Theyre effing delicious.

    Yeah, and they are actually one of the highest sources of fiber of all vegetables. You will get almost 40% of your DV from an avocado.

    *kitten* yeah pooping.
  • AdobeTree
    AdobeTree Posts: 49 Member
    Thanks! I love avocados! I'm been avoiding olive oil because I assumed it was the best of all the unhealthy oils. I won't hesitate to use it now (in moderation of course).

    Are almonds lower in calories than peanuts? I've also been struggling with being hungry because the food I have been choosing are a little too high in calories.
  • AeolianHarp
    AeolianHarp Posts: 463 Member
    Can you define what a good fat is and what a bad fat is?
  • bradXdale
    bradXdale Posts: 399
    Can you define what a good fat is and what a bad fat is?

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/skinny-fat-good-fats-bad-fats
  • chris1816
    chris1816 Posts: 715 Member
  • AeolianHarp
    AeolianHarp Posts: 463 Member

    Saturated fats are bad? Huh. Based on what? The shoddy epidemiological studies? A recent meta-analysis has dismissed that saturated fats are bad. That entire article is bunk.
  • chris1816
    chris1816 Posts: 715 Member

    Saturated fats are bad? Huh. Based on what? The shoddy epidemiological studies? A recent meta-analysis has dismissed that saturated fats are bad. That entire article is bunk.

    Nope, saturated fats are okay. Just don't want to have many. They don't benefit you much. However, a diet high in saturated fats and critically low in unsaturated is plain and simple unhealthy

    A good mix of mono and poly unsaturated fats is better.

    Just look at the food items they come from:

    Saturated: Butter, Lard

    Unsatured: Almonds, Avocado, Salmon

    Your brain and cell membranes among other things is mostly composed of fats, the nature of these fats as you intake them and give them for your body to break down is critically important.
  • ejechols
    ejechols Posts: 98 Member
    Bump
  • docktorfokse
    docktorfokse Posts: 473 Member
    as far as nut butters go, i would recommend you get natural butters, with one or two ingredients (peanuts/almond/cashews/whathaveyou, and salt if you prefer). if you don't have to stir the water back in when you open it, you got the wrong thing.
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member

    Saturated fats are bad? Huh. Based on what? The shoddy epidemiological studies? A recent meta-analysis has dismissed that saturated fats are bad. That entire article is bunk.

    Agree with this - Saturated fats aren't bad fats...

    the whole thing with fats is they are more calorie dense so if you overeat on fats you can up your calories..

    i.e. overeating tomatoes may have you add an extra 30 calories but overeating on Avacados may have you add an extra 100 calories...both are good choices you just have to me more serving size cautious of foods that are higher in fats...

    I routinely have in my diet

    Avocados (if you can find it Wholly Guacamole makes 100 calories snack packs...so easy to open one and eat with a handful of baby carrots or red pepper strips and contain your serving size)
    Coconut Oil - VIRGIN not refined
    Olive Oil - Virgin 1st pressed
    Almonds, Pecans
    Bacon drippings
    KerryGold butter

    i steer clear of vegetable oils...soybean, corn, canola, peanut

    I actually lowered my cholesterol and upped my HDL
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
    as far as nut butters go, i would recommend you get natural butters, with one or two ingredients (peanuts/almond/cashews/whathaveyou, and salt if you prefer). if you don't have to stir the water back in when you open it, you got the wrong thing.

    If you have a Whole Foods near you - you can get fresh ground Almond butter - it is awesome...and the price is right in line with the good quality jarred Almond butter - only 100X's fresher since you grind it right when you buy it
  • lstpaul
    lstpaul Posts: 2,013 Member
    Thanks! I love avocados! I'm been avoiding olive oil because I assumed it was the best of all the unhealthy oils. I won't hesitate to use it now (in moderation of course).

    Are almonds lower in calories than peanuts? I've also been struggling with being hungry because the food I have been choosing are a little too high in calories.

    If you haven' t been getting enough fats throughout the day that would explain being hungry too ... good healthy fats with every meal/snack will help keep you full. P.S. my nutritionist says butter and other saturated fats are healthy - although as someone else said portion control is important with fats because they are high in calories
  • AeolianHarp
    AeolianHarp Posts: 463 Member
    Nope, saturated fats are okay.

    The article clearly labelled saturated fats as "bad."
    Just don't want to have many.

    The same can be said for polyunsaturated fats as well, which has come under recent scrutiny.
    They don't benefit you much.

    Saturated fats, specifically for males, affect testosterone, so that is quite the benefit. Outside of that, there may be potential immune system benefits as well as to bones.
    However, a diet high in saturated fats and critically low in unsaturated is plain and simple unhealthy

    While I don't think the French or some surrounding Europeans are critically low in unsaturated fats, they have some of the highest consumptions of saturated fats out of developed countries yet has one of the lowest rates of cardiovascular related deaths.
    A good mix of mono and poly unsaturated fats is better.

    This is largely an unfounded statement and the French paradox as well as meta-analyses and various other cultures refute this.
    Just look at the food items they come from:
    Saturated: Butter, Lard
    Unsatured: Almonds, Avocado, Salmon

    This means nothing other than youre demonizing food baselessly. Plenty of long living cultures consume butter and lard.
  • pgp90xer
    pgp90xer Posts: 219 Member
    pumpkin seeds!!
  • chris1816
    chris1816 Posts: 715 Member
    Nope, saturated fats are okay.

    The article clearly labelled saturated fats as "bad."
    Just don't want to have many.

    The same can be said for polyunsaturated fats as well, which has come under recent scrutiny.
    They don't benefit you much.

    Saturated fats, specifically for males, affect testosterone, so that is quite the benefit. Outside of that, there may be potential immune system benefits as well as to bones.
    However, a diet high in saturated fats and critically low in unsaturated is plain and simple unhealthy

    While I don't think the French or some surrounding Europeans are critically low in unsaturated fats, they have some of the highest consumptions of saturated fats out of developed countries yet has one of the lowest rates of cardiovascular related deaths.
    A good mix of mono and poly unsaturated fats is better.

    This is largely an unfounded statement and the French paradox as well as meta-analyses and various other cultures refute this.
    Just look at the food items they come from:
    Saturated: Butter, Lard
    Unsatured: Almonds, Avocado, Salmon

    This means nothing other than youre demonizing food baselessly. Plenty of long living cultures consume butter and lard.

    Whoa whoa you wen't quote happy. Calm down Susan.

    Its a bit odd that we both seem to be making more or less the same point regarding that article, and I see you like reading comprehension, so let's play with it a bit.

    I'm not demonizing anything, I cook with butter often and have no problem with lard. The point I was making is that as a complete package of food; which is going to give you more nutritional bang for your buck, an avocado or the caloric equivalent in butter?

    Nowhere did I say to cut saturated fats out completely, or to just eat salmon all day. The point is balance, as with all micro or macro nutrient intakes. An intake of mono-unsatured fats and poly unsaturated fats will ALSO give you an intake of saturated fats...it's very hard to actually avoid saturated fats, however it is recommended to limit intake.

    Now to get gritty; the French Paradox was a study correlated consumption of fats in relation to heart disease. The general dietary habits in Franche contribute to this as well, not just fat consumption. The French diet tends to consist of a fairly on par consumption of both saturated and unsaturated fats, especially Omega-3 fatty acids (they consume 3 times as much fish as comparable european diets).
  • TeamD2R
    TeamD2R Posts: 26
    avocados and chia / flax seeds are my favorite. Be sure to soak the seeds overnight for best nutrition absorption
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Try not to demonize fat. Stay away from trans fats but that's about it.

    In terms of the other three a decent balance of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated should do you just fine.

    You'll get all you need from nuts, lean meat and fish, and olive oil.
  • AeolianHarp
    AeolianHarp Posts: 463 Member
    Whoa whoa you wen't quote happy. Calm down Susan.

    -.- I addressed specific things so you can see what my response is to something you said. This is to eliminate ambiguity. It's easier to understand what I say when you see what I'm specifically referring to.
    I'm not demonizing anything, I cook with butter often and have no problem with lard. The point I was making is that as a complete package of food; which is going to give you more nutritional bang for your buck, an avocado or the caloric equivalent in butter?

    How does it fit into the context of an entire diet and the dosage? Outside of knowing how it fits in, giving you an answer is meaningless if we take into consideration discretionary calorie allowance. Meaning, just because avocado is more nutritionally packed does not mean it's necessarily better within a context of a specific diet if: (A) the dosage is too small to make a difference, and/or (B) the diet before the consumption of avocado or butter has met or exceeded micronutrient requirements, and (C) How this factors across a period of time since your question does not tell me if this person is doing it everyday and in a specific context as this can change many things.
    Nowhere did I say to cut saturated fats out completely, or to just eat salmon all day.

    Nowhere did I say you did say that.
    The point is balance, as with all micro or macro nutrient intakes. An intake of mono-unsatured fats and poly unsaturated fats will ALSO give you an intake of saturated fats...it's very hard to actually avoid saturated fats, however it is recommended to limit intake.

    Balance?:
    "A good mix of mono and poly unsaturated fats is better."

    This quote does not suggest balance whatsoever. It suggest superiority of unsaturated fats over saturated fats.
    Now to get gritty; the French Paradox was a study correlated consumption of fats in relation to heart disease. The general dietary habits in Franche contribute to this as well, not just fat consumption. The French diet tends to consist of a fairly on par consumption of both saturated and unsaturated fats, especially Omega-3 fatty acids (they consume 3 times as much fish as comparable european diets).

    What you said:
    "A good mix of mono and poly unsaturated fats is better."

    You are implying a lot here and if you meant something else then you should change how you say it. If you meant balance then you shouldn't have said better since better implies superiority.

    Anyways, I know that the context of an entire diet matters and one of the reasons we continually see correlation of red meat and saturated fat linked with a plethora of diseases is most likely because people who consume more saturated fat and red meat tend to live "unhealthier" lifestyles. I hate correlational studies more than the next guy but that wasn't my point.

    My point with the French paradox is that if saturated fats were "bad" (or inferior to unsaturated or any negative connotations that go with saturated fat) then societies that have very high consumptions of it (higher than most of developed countries) should have poorer health since "bad" or "inferior" are negative and therefore we should see negative results regardless. You suggest that "a good of mono and poly ... is better." Saturated fats make up a larger portion of the French diet than many other places. Your suggestion then makes no sense when we examine the French or other European countries similar to the French since if it was truly better then these places should not be doing better from a cardiovascular standpoint.

    But what do we see? Lifestyle matters (as you noted), which is why the French Paradox is no paradox at all. I agree that there should be some semblance of balance but there is more to health than just fats. There are other places that live quite long who have much different dietary profiles than the French yet live longer.
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