Just what, exactly, are considered healthy fats?
This is one health related topic I constantly feel lost on. I trust the forum membership far more than Google et al, and that is why I'm asking here.

Also, I'd like thoughtful input regarding what foods typically have them in abundance, and what foods should be avoided concerning this mystical gastronomic oxymoron.

Maybe we make lists of the best and worst?
Top five and five worst or something along those lines ought to do it nicely.

Thanks-

I think the answer changes with the seasons as the media hypes and spins the latest finding, diet or discovery. I would suspect that natural forms of fat such as olive and plant based oils with minimal processing are considered healthy, while any kind of red meat, fast food, highly refined, or trans fats are bad.

Simple version, if it tastes good it's probably bad.

Healthy cooking oils are: olive, coconut, avocado and I believe there are a few more healthy ones, but I just use these.

Bad oils are the vegetable oils, canola, soybean etc. Basically, the oils used in 99% of processed foods and fryers.

In animal fat, ideally you want a good Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio. Omega 3's are better. Grass fed, cage free, free-range type meats and eggs have a way better ratio like 2/1 Omega 6 to 3 whereas the typical meat could be more like 4/1.

I rarely splurge for the good stuff, but ideally grass fed beef, cage free eggs and something I do do, I only buy wild caught seafood as opposed to the farmed stuff pumped full of antibiotics.

The fats in nuts and seeds and avocados and coconuts are healthy.

For what it’s worth…

“Healthy or “good” fats
Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are known as the “good fats” because they are good for your heart, your cholesterol, and your overall health…”

www.helpguide.org/articles/hea...ing-healthy-fats.htm

Omega 3's (salmon, steelhead trout, tuna, walnuts, herring, marlin, orange roughy, anchovies) are not only healthy, they are essential for brain health. They also supposedly help with reduced inflammation in the in body and help reduce the LDL cholesterol.



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Anything that’s unrefined, real and can be obtained by cold pressing fruits (like olives), plants, or nuts, or animal fats from healthy, grass fed animals or from fish are most likely the ones that will be better for you. IMO

What about Grape Seed oil?

The good fats are bacon, steak, butter and heavy cream.

Oh... you meant for health... My bad.

Omega 3 fatty acids, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats; found in salmon, avocado, nuts, olives, etc., are the good ones. My favorite breakfast is a sliced Haas avocado, lightly salted, and covered with two over easy eggs fried in olive oil. Fantastic taste, and energy all morning.

Saturated fats such as milk, cheese, bacon, and other non-fish meat fats are not as good, but are ok within limits. Nice meal is a lean steak, like a sirloin, salted for 24 hours, brought to room temperature before cooking, grilled to taste, and then julienned into a board sauce of olive oil, rosemary, garlic and fresh basil, served with a salad with home made balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette dressing. If it's cooler, substitute the salad with fresh green beans and vidalia onion sauteed in olive oil with garlic, salt and pepper.

Trans fats, (in processed foods and some fry oil) hydrogenated oils (fry oils, margarine, packaged baked goods) and tropical oils (coconut, etc., also found in processed baked goods) are simply not good for you, but are also relatively easy to avoid or limit.

Agree with the above, but generally we should be more concerned with all of the sugar, and non-food items that are in our food supply. While bad fats can contribute to poor health, I think sugar and processed food in general has a much more detrimental effect to our health. Cancer, diabetes, obesity. .

quote:

Originally posted by zipriderson:
Agree with the above, but generally we should be more concerned with all of the sugar, and non-food items that are in our food supply. While bad fats can contribute to poor health, I think sugar and processed food in general has a much more detrimental effect to our health. Cancer, diabetes, obesity. .

Oh, I am inclined to agree. I think that with recent moves by the .gov, coupled with pressure from health groups to limit the worst kind of fats in processed foods, society is improving on the fat side of the equation. I used to work for the purchasing and supply chain for Burger King, and we eliminated trans fats, and limited hydrogenated fats in all BK menu items and fry oils, in an attempt to make a better, healthier product. Still high fat, high salt and high calorie, but better. Sugar, however is everywhere, and is implicated in obesity, type II diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, ADD/ADHD and numerous other conditions.

Perceptions of flavor and health will have to change, however. This is not a good place for the .gov to dive into.

Salmon - very much less so if farm raised.

Avocados- not guacamole. Raw, fresh.

English Walnuts - not salted, nor roasted.

quote:

Originally posted by craigcpa:
Avocados- not guacamole. Raw, fresh.

What is wrong with guacamole? You mash an avacado with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, fresh peppers, salt, garlic, and some lemon juice. How can that convert the avocado into "bad?"

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:

quote:

Originally posted by zipriderson:
Agree with the above, but generally we should be more concerned with all of the sugar, and non-food items that are in our food supply. While bad fats can contribute to poor health, I think sugar and processed food in general has a much more detrimental effect to our health. Cancer, diabetes, obesity. .

Oh, I am inclined to agree. I think that with recent moves by the .gov, coupled with pressure from health groups to limit the worst kind of fats in processed foods, society is improving on the fat side of the equation. I used to work for the purchasing and supply chain for Burger King, and we eliminated trans fats, and limited hydrogenated fats in all BK menu items and fry oils, in an attempt to make a better, healthier product. Still high fat, high salt and high calorie, but better. Sugar, however is everywhere, and is implicated in obesity, type II diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, ADD/ADHD and numerous other conditions.

Perceptions of flavor and health will have to change, however. This is not a good place for the .gov to dive into.

Great point, but really forget the fats - look at the ingredients in a typical bun at a fast food place. it's loaded with tons of things you've never heard of. I dont care how hard BK tries to get healthier by eliminating bad fats or whatever - at the end of the day there are non-food products in the food.

Say what you will about a place like Chipotle - at least you can see that you are eating real food products.

Yup. Buns that last 5 days on the shelf are a crime against nature.

quote:

Originally posted by Strambo:
Healthy cooking oils are: olive, coconut, avocado and I believe there are a few more healthy ones, but I just use these.

Bad oils are the vegetable oils, canola, soybean etc. Basically, the oils used in 99% of processed foods and fryers.

In animal fat, ideally you want a good Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio. Omega 3's are better. Grass fed, cage free, free-range type meats and eggs have a way better ratio like 2/1 Omega 6 to 3 whereas the typical meat could be more like 4/1.

I rarely splurge for the good stuff, but ideally grass fed beef, cage free eggs and something I do do, I only buy wild caught seafood as opposed to the farmed stuff pumped full of antibiotics.

The fats in nuts and seeds and avocados and coconuts are healthy.

That mostly covers it but isn't hard cheese also a good source?

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:

quote:

Originally posted by craigcpa:
Avocados- not guacamole. Raw, fresh.

What is wrong with guacamole? You mash an avacado with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, fresh peppers, salt, garlic, and some lemon juice. How can that convert the avocado into "bad?"

Because now you need a basket of chips to eat it

The misconceptions about Fats are falling like Dominos.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:

quote:

Originally posted by craigcpa:
Avocados- not guacamole. Raw, fresh.

What is wrong with guacamole? You mash an avacado with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, fresh peppers, salt, garlic, and some lemon juice. How can that convert the avocado into "bad?"

No one said it was “bad.” The avocado has wholesome “fat” of which the OP was desiring. The added ingredients, I don’t think, add healthy fat.

Very good so far.

My last blood work recommended lowering my saturated fats. I think to get my cholesterol down below 200 from 218 although the doc wasn't too worried about that.

I'll give you some examples of what I think I've been doing right even before the blood test:
Oikos Triple Zero yogurt, all natural peanut butter (essentially peanuts and salt or as close to it as possible), Tillamook medium cheddar, and unsweetened almond milk instead of moo juice.

Where I may be failing is with the occasional frozen burger patty, a touch of hazelnut creamer in my coffee, Campbell's chunky type soups, and cheap eighteen pack eggs. The eggs I used to eat a couple a day hard boiled in my instapot, but now am down to one every other day or so.

Of course my diet is more varied than all that, but I think those would be the highlights. Is any of that spot on or way off?

Oh, and I hate avocados. It isn't because I haven't tried, I just can't stand them.

i now get tubs of guacamole for my avocado. no need to ripen, cut, scoop - it's ready to go.

i increase saturated fats and eliminate vegetable oils aka seed oils as they are brain killers. vegetable oil is right up there if not worse than sugar and processed grains.

no more eating out unless i can verify what type of fat is used in preparation. soy and canola oil are so cheap - what do you think they use?

getting your yearly blood tests is only as good as your physician's interpretation of the results. and from my experience, they are still touting old mantras - lower cholesterol (high total cholesterol for older folk actually decreases morbidity). and getting a high ldl freaks them out (regardless of whether they are small particle or large particle, which the current test does not show).

what!? you stopped eating sugar! are you mad!

below is from Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food, by Dr. Catherine Shanahan 2008.