Healthy Fats to Add to Your Diet (That Aren’t Avocado)

When we’re thinking of losing weight or eating healthier, a lot of us automatically assume that we should have less fat in our diets; however that couldn’t be further from the truth (in a way).

There are two distinct types of fats we can have in our diets. Think of them as “Good Fats” and “Bad Fats”. The Bad Fats are things like fried foods, pre-packaged snacks, ice cream, fries, etc. The good fats are called HDLs. They’re going to be the ones I’ll list below to include in your diet.

I will note that Avocado is almost always mentioned when talking about healthy fats. I, however, am sick of Avocado. I think it’s highly overrated, it’s a bit expensive, and (personally) it isn’t very good. We’ll talk about some alternatives.

1. Fatty Fish

Fatty fish are also great for you in so many other ways. Not only are they a great healthy fat to add to your diet, but they’re also full of Omega 3s, which encourage heart and brain health, among so many other benefits. Some good fatty fish to include in your diet would be Salmon, Carp, Mackerel, and Cod. All of which are amazing baked.

2. Eggs

Eggs are great for breakfast as a good fat, and they’re also a great protein. Eggs are also great because there are so many different ways to prepare them. If you’re dieting, eggs would also be a great addition to your diet because one large egg only contains 78 calories (Source), which is very low when compared to other breakfast foods.

3. Almond Butter

Any nut butter has the same benefit, I personally prefer almond butter for taste. It’s also packed with Vitamin E, which is wonderful for your skin. Almonds, of course, are also a good source of protein. (Source) I like to put it on apple slices as a snack.

4. Flax Seeds

Great to add to a protein shake or smoothie, and they also help in regulating your digestive system. You can find a great recipe for a Blueberry Banana Smoothie with Flax Seeds here.

5. Full Fat Yogurt

Whole fat yogurt is a great healthy fat. It’s good with breakfast (you could even include Flax Seeds in it), and it’s also good for an on the go snack during the day. My personal favorite of a full fat yogurt is Noosa brand, they have all kinds of great flavors to choose from.

6. Nuts

Whether it’s walnuts, peanuts, almonds, or cashews, there really are a wealth of nutrients of nutrients and health benefits you can get from eating nuts. They’re a healthy fat, but also can prevent heart disease, help keep your brain healthy and quick, and are great for your skin. Some nuts have different health benefits than others, I’ll link an article from Everyday Health that goes into more detail here.

7. Spirulina

I only recently learned that Spirulina is a healthy fat, which is amazing. Spirulina has a huge amount of health benefits, and I’ve personally been taking a Spirulina supplement on and off for years. I began taking Spirulina due to a health condition I was dealing with that required some extra help detoxifying my body of toxins, and it aids in that process. The biggest health benefits I’ve seen that come from Spirulina are that it aids in detoxification and it can be an anti-inflammatory, among a long list of many other benefits.

It’s worth mentioning that if you take any prescription medication, please speak to your doctor before beginning to take a Spirulina supplement.

8. Dark Chocolate

Not only can you enjoy Dark Chocolate, you can also enjoy knowing you’re reaping all of the benefits it has to offer. Studies have shown that dark chocolate reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and contains 64 mg of Magnesium (Source).

9. Grass Fed Beef

Grass Fed Beef has been shown to have higher levels of Omega 3s (Source), and it’s low calorie. This would be a great choice to add to a meal if you follow the Keto diet.

10. Olive Oil

Olive Oil has been shown to help protect your body from Cancer, help with Anxiety and Depression, and even aid in preventing Alzheimer’s Disease (Source). It’s a great base for making a salad dressing.