Full-fat, low-fat, fat-free, trans fat, sat fat. It’s enough to have you reaching for a heavily buttered crumpet. But perhaps that’s no bad thing after all? A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that overweight and obese people who followed a diet lower in carbohydrates and higher in fats had better improvements in their risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
So what fats are actually good for us and which are best avoided? With these three simple guidelines there’s no need to fear fat.
Full fat dairy is back on
Traditional advice has been that eating too much saturated fat, particularly those derived from animal sources, can elevate cholesterol levels resulting in clogged arteries and heart problems. But the latest research indicates that fats from dairy sources might not be the health no-no we thought they were. In a recent study from The George Institute for Global Health, eating dairy fat was shown to lower your risk of heart disease.
But not all dairy products are created equal. Full-fat milk, yogurt and cheese are generally less processed than their low-fat alternatives, contain more nutrients and are better for gut health. An effective, simple swap is to ditch low-fat flavoured yogurts and buy full-fat Greek yogurt instead. You can add chopped fruit, honey and nuts for a nutritious start to the day or use it instead of shop-bought mayonnaise when making sandwich fillings, dips or sauces.
And what about butter? Undoubtedly delicious, but it has been steadily usurped as the nation’s favourite fat by “healthier” low-fat spreads. Although high in calories, butter also contains important nutrients and can certainly be eaten in moderation. With more focus these days on reducing our intake of processed foods, butter might in fact be a better choice than a spread pumped full of unfamiliar ingredients.
Be selective with meat and fish
When it comes to meat it still makes sense to choose lean cuts and remove any visible fat. Buy the five per cent fat versions of minced meat and trim the rind off bacon and steaks. An excellent and much over-looked leaner cut of meat is pork tenderloin. Try marinating a whole tenderloin in some harissa paste mixed with olive oil, crushed garlic and lemon juice and roast for 20 minutes at 200C (fan). Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and pouring over the pan juices.
And we can’t possibly ignore oily fish. There is still universal agreement among nutritionists that oily fish are hugely beneficial to our overall health, being loaded with heart and brain-friendly omega-3 oils. Choose sustainable varieties such as mackerel, sardines and anchovies. Whiffle up a speedy sardine pâté by mashing up a tin of sardines (in olive oil, drained) with diced red onion, chopped parsley, a few chopped black olives and lemon juice.
Plant fats are your friend
Eating some animal fat as part of a healthy, balanced diet is fine but the general consensus is still that plant-based fats, especially those intrinsic to whole foods like avocados, nuts and seeds, are particularly beneficial. A really easy way to eat more seeds is to make a spicy seed topper by toasting 100g mixed seeds in a dry frying pan, pour into a bowl containing two tbsp extra virgin olive oil, one tsp each of cumin, coriander and turmeric, mix well and keep handy in an airtight container. Sprinkle over eggs, salads, soups and avo toast.
Nuts are another excellent way to ensure you are eating plenty of fat, but be calorie-aware – 14 almonds are 100 calories as is one tablespoon of peanut butter. Try spreading slices of apple with nut butter for a filling and nutritious snack, or spread over a piece of wholegrain toast and top with chopped banana and cinnamon for an energy-packed, speedy breakfast.
When it comes to plant oils the rule of thumb is to use a low smoke point oil, like extra virgin olive oil, for cold use such as in dressings, and a high smoke point oil for cooking. One of the best cooking oils from a nutritional perspective is rapeseed oil, ideally organic, which has a neutral flavour and a high smoke point.
Trans fats are highly processed vegetable oils, which are definitely one to avoid – studies suggest these significantly increase your risk of heart disease. While the Government has encouraged food manufacturers to reduce the levels of trans fats in products, an outright ban has yet to be brought in. Moreover, there is no legal requirement in the UK for companies to place warning labels on foods that contain trans fats, although they can appear in the list of ingredients as “partially hydrogenated oil” or “mono and diglycerides of fatty acids”. So the best way to avoid trans fats is to avoid processed foods.
The takeaway message is: focus on natural, minimally processed fats in your diet like full-fat milk, cheese and yogurt and those present in plant foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds and olive oil. With that in mind you can’t go far wrong.
The Midlife Method: How to Lose Weight and Feel Great After 40 by Sam Rice is published by Headline Home
