Eight good sources of fat for you

Fat adds taste to meals. Almost everyone will vouch for that. Yet for years it has been getting a bad rap to the extent that now when we hear the word "fat", we automatically think "bad". But the fact is that fat is okay to eat, as long as you eat the right kind, in right amounts. When it comes to calories - from any source (good or bad) - fat provides nine calories per gram. So the way to go about it is to replace "bad" fats with "good" fats, and keep it to 25 per cent of your total calorie intake for the day, of which only ten per cent should come from saturated fats.

Ghee

Now that recent research has all but exonerated saturated fat as the devil it was being made out to be, it’s time to get a little ghee back in our diet. So go on, smear a little on the roti, or put a tiny tadka on the sabzi.

Olive oil

When it comes to oils, olive oil, particularly the extra virgin olive oil is without doubt one of the most virtuous mediums to douse your food in. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients in it help clean the arteries, MUFA(monounsaturated fatty acids), particularly oleic acid helps reduce bad cholesterol, improve good cholesterol, and reins your blood pressure. Plus the myriad polyphenols it is packed with prevents platelets from clumping (a major heart attack risk factor) besides working as anti inflammatory agents. The best news of course is that you don’t really need too much in a day to score the benefits; even one tablespoonful a day does the trick. So drizzle a bit on your salads everyday. Olives too are rich in monounsaturated fat, so add them liberally to salads or snacks.

Fatty fish

Research has proven beyond doubt omega 3’s amazing power to keep the body free of heart disease and diabetes, and that they play a significant role in fending off increasingly common illnesses like asthma, arthritis, depression, rheumatoid arthritis, and even certain types of cancer. You definitely need to put more of this wonder nutrient on your plate, and fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel and trout) are it’s richest sources. Put them on your plate at least twice a week.

Flaxseeds

If you hate fish or are a strict vegetarian, score alpha-linolenic acid (which gets converted to omega-3 fatty acid in the body) from flaxseeds. Have one tablespoonful of flaxseeds three to four times a week (sprinkle on soups, curries, dals). Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) are also found in mustard oil, methi seeds, urad dal, rajma, soybeans, lobia, and seeds like chia and pumpkin.

Nuts

How can a food so high in fat be good for your heart? Well, that’s because of the kind of fat nuts contain: most of it is unsaturated. Almonds, for example, pack in a lot of MUFA, which are great for our heart as they help lower bad cholesterol LDL (low-density lipoprotein), and increase HDL (high-density lipoprotein) - the good one. Walnuts, besides MUFA, also have omega-3’s. So chomp some everyday.

Peanut butter

Peanut butter is a good way of harnessing the health benefits that peanut offers. Also try out walnut, almond or cashew butters; from these you’ll get good quality protein too along with good fats. Just read the labels carefully and opt for butters that don’t have added sugars, or make your own at home. To make walnut butter soak 100gm walnut overnight, drain and discard the water. Then roast the walnuts at about 120 degree Celsius for about 20 minutes. Cool them. Grind in a food processor till you get a sticky paste. Add a pinch of salt and cinnamon and one teaspoon virgin olive oil.

Coconut

Coconut is loaded with saturated fat (has even more than butter), which is why for a long time it was labelled as an artery-clogger and was shunned. New reports though have made it clear that the kind of saturated fat coconut has is actually heart-healthy; because more than 50 per cent of it is lauric acid, which actually boosts HDL (good) cholesterol. So shred some in your curries, the way they habitually do down south. Pure virgin coconut oil (the non hydrogenated - the process of adding hydrogen to make a liquid fat hard) is a good choice to cook in too as it contains an unusual blend of short and medium chain fatty acids, primarily lauric (44 per cent) and myristic (16.8 per cent) acids, which is a healthy combo.

Eggs

One whole egg contains five grams of fat, of which 1.5 grams are saturated. Whole eggs are also a good source of choline (one egg yolk has about 300 micrograms of choline), an important vitamin B that helps regulate the brain, nervous system and cardiovascular system. And while there’s a lot of buzz about the cholesterol in eggs, research has actually linked moderate egg consumption to improved heart health. An egg breakfast, research shows, keeps one full for longer too. Go for it.