Saturated fats are less scary, but should be eaten in moderation. These can also harden in your body and cause unwanted fat and harmful cholesterol levels. Saturated fat is found in animal products including milk and cheese and red meats. These foods do have some health benefits, however, so moderation is key.
How to Fatten Up Your Diet The Right Way
You can add a little healthy fat to every meal. Here’s a few ideas for your next meal:
Add flax seeds to your oatmeal or yogurt at breakfast.
Cook with canola or olive oil, or drizzle these oils on veggies.
Use avocado instead of mayo on sandwiches or top your salads with fresh avocado.
Swap out red meat for salmon or another fatty fish.
Snack on a handful of raw seeds or nuts like sunflower seeds and almonds.
If you’re looking to lose weight or simply maintain your healthy weight, replacing your “bad” fat with “good” fat can help. Keep in mind, however, that fat of any kind is calorie-dense, so you should still keep your fat intake relatively low. The American Heart Association recommends you keep fat intake around 20-35% of daily your calories. So if you’re eating 2,000 calories a day, that means 400-700 calories from fat each day.
Sharita Jennings is a health policy attorney and certified group fitness instructor and nutrition specialist. She leads fitness classes in Washington, DC and provides online coaching and tips on her site, GetFitLikeThat.com.