Will eating fats help me lose weight? The truth about ‘good’ fats and ‘bad’ fats

We found out why including HEALTHY fats in your diet does wonders for your health

Published on21st January 2015 at 3.54pm

Whilst we’re on our New Year health kick, many of us will be avoiding fat like the plague. While low-fat products sound more appealing when you’re trying to cut out the calories, you may be surprised to find out that some fats are actually good for us.

In fact, these ‘good’ fats are 100% necessary in a healthy diet.

So what’s the difference between good fats and bad fats?

It’s simple. Bad fats are those we find in chocolate, crisps, burgers and chips. They are called saturated fats and they have limited nutritional value.

Good fats on the other hand are known as monosaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats and they help support your heart and help you absorb important vitamins and minerals.

If you’re on a diet and you’re swearing off all fats- STOP! You might be doing your body more harm than good.

Swap your bad fats (butter, cream, ice cream, cheese, sweets, fatty meat and pastries) for some of these healthy fats

Good fats in food

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Peanut butter

Swap butter and cream cheese for peanut butter on your morning toast to help boost you 'good' fat intake.

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Olive oil

Instead of cooking with fatty cooking oils, use olive oil instead. You can also use olive oil on bread instead of margarine.

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Olives

If you want a quick snack, buy a small pack of olives and munch away. they're rich with vitamins and healthy fats.

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Nuts

Mainy dieters are put of nuts due to their high fat content, but these are GOOD fats! Go for unsalted nuts to be extra healthy.

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Sunflower seeds

Add some sunflower seeds to your salads or eat as a snack to help your body get some good, healthy fats.

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Salmon

Not only does salmon taste great, but it's also rich in good fats (as well as Omega 3).

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Tofu

Add some healthy fats to your diet by making a delicious Tofu and vegetable stir-fry!

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Tuna

Swap the cheese in your baked potato for some healthy tuna to up your levels of healthy fats.

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Avocados

This tasty superfood is loaded with healthy fats. Try it chopped in a salad or sliced up in a sandwich.

You may also be interested in: SUGAR FREE DIET: 10 HEALTHY SWEET SNACKS

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