17.5 Prioritizing Healthy Fats and Proteins

Some sources of fat and protein are healthier than others. The following are some tips and strategies for prioritizing unsaturated fats and healthy sources of protein that you can consider incorporating into your eating pattern.

Choosing Healthy Fats

• Prioritize plants because the fat they contain is unsaturated, and many of them also provide protein.
• Add concentrated sources of unsaturated fats—like avocados, nuts, seeds, or olives—to foods you already eat, such as salads, sandwiches, pasta, salsas, dips, spreads, or other dishes.
• Diversify the types of oil you use. For example, flaxseed oil and hempseed oil are excellent choices for salad dressing, but they should not be exposed to direct heat, so canola and avocado oils are better options for high-temperature cooking, and olive oil works well for low-temperature cooking.

Consuming Omega-3 Fatty Acids Daily

• Eat at least one good source of omega-3 fatty acids each day (Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 2015). This includes walnuts and walnut oil, chia seeds, flax seeds and flaxseed oil, hemp seeds and hemp seed oil, canola oil, soybean oil, some green vegetables such as brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, salad greens, and sea vegetables, microalgae, fish, and seafood.
• When consuming flaxseed, use ground. Whole flaxseeds tend to go through the intestinal tract undigested and while they do a great job of increasing stool bulk, ground flaxseeds provide a much more reliable source of omega-3 fatty acids.
• Prioritize fatty fish from cold water sources that are high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury, such as salmon. Keep in mind that canned fish can be a convenient option to have on hand.

Minimizing Unhealthy Fats and Proteins

• Choose foods that are raw, steamed, baked, broiled, grilled, stewed, or stir-fried instead of deep fried.
• Limit trans fat by avoiding margarine, shortening, lard, and baked goods made with partially hydrogenated oils. Look for these in the list of ingredients.
• If you consume animal-based foods, choose lean options like eggs, chicken, and turkey most of the time. Consider substituting these leaner options for red meats and processed meats such as bacon, sausage, jerky, and luncheon meats.
• Consume dairy products high in saturated fats—like some cheeses, cream, and ice cream—in moderation or consider substitutions like plain or strained yogurt for sour cream or part-skim mozzarella for higher fat cheeses.