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Foods Rich in Nonsaturated Fat

Maintaining a healthy diet is essential to living a long healthy life. When eating foods, doctors suggest choosing foods low or without saturated fat and rich in unsaturated fat, the healthy fat. Doctors, nutritionists, and other health professionals recommend opting for foods high in unsaturated fats, which are foods that contain two main types of unsaturated fats: polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.

  1. Benefits of Unsaturated Fats

    • Unsaturated fats in food are commonly referred to by health professionals as the "good fats." The healthy, unsaturated fats are commonly found in fats in liquid form at room temperature. Numerous studies have found that the two main types of unsaturated fat, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, not only lower your triglycerides, but also lower your LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and raise your HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).

    Unsaturated Food Recommendations

    • According to the American Heart Association, the total fat intake from foods rich in unsaturated fat should not exceed 25 to 35 percent of total daily calories. Always check your food labels to ensure proper intake of the correct amount of fats. Recommendations from the National Cholesterol Education Program suggest no more than 20 percent of your normal daily caloric intake should come from monounsaturated fats and only 10 percent should come from polyunsaturated fat.

    Foods High in Unsaturated Fats

    • Plenty of options are available when it comes to eating food high in unsaturated fats. Some foods with the highest amount of unsaturated fats are oils like canola, olive, sunflower, and sesame oil. Some nuts such as almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and pistachios also contain high amounts of the healthy unsaturated fats. Certain fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel are also sources known to be rich in unsaturated fat.

    Choosing Foods Rich in Unsaturated Fats

    • Understanding the right foods to choose when adjusting your diet to include more unsaturated fat is vital. You must first reduce your intake of the bad, unhealthy saturated fats before increasing your intake of the healthy, unsaturated fats. Increasing your intake of the unsaturated fats before replacing your saturated fat intake can lead to an unhealthy high calorie consumption. Doctors suggest consuming foods rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids only, eliminating foods loaded with saturated fats.

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