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Fats are essential nutrients for the human body. However, not all types of fats are good for our health. Fats are commonly present in the foods we consume daily, making it one of the most discussed topics in nutrition. In this article, let's discover which foods contain fats and which ones are beneficial for our health.
1. Understanding Dietary Fats
Fats are crucial nutrients for the human body. They are a type of vital nutrient found in various foods, including both animal and plant-based sources. Fats provide energy to the body, help absorb fat-soluble vitamins, protect organs, and contribute to hormone production and cell regeneration.
Foods Rich in Dietary Fats
However, it's important to note that not all types of fats are good for health. Some unsaturated and saturated fats are believed to be harmful if consumed excessively. Therefore, understanding which foods contain fats is crucial. It helps us know which foods to consume if we want to supplement our fat intake.
2. What Foods Contain Fat?
When it comes to foods rich in fat, they can be categorized into 2 main groups: plant-based sources and animal-based sources.
2.1. Foods with Plant-Based Fats: Plant Sources
Various types of fats are commonly found in seeds and nuts such as avocado, peanuts, cashews, apricots, and peaches. Additionally, they can also be found in products like peanut butter, almond butter, and oils such as olive oil and rapeseed oil.
Plant-based fats are also abundant in roasted soybeans, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and vegetable oils like corn oil and sunflower oil. However, it's important to note that some vegetable oils still contain unhealthy saturated fats, such as palm oil and coconut oil.
2.2. Foods with Animal-Based Fats: Animal Sources
Some foods rich in fats sourced from animals
In our diet, animal products play a significant role in providing fats to the body. Meat, skin, and fat from animals, especially livestock and poultry, along with dairy products like heavy cream, butter, cheese, sour cream, whipped cream, and yogurt, are all rich in fats. However, not all fats from animals are beneficial to health. For instance, pork fat and clarified butter contain unhealthy saturated fats. Only specific unsaturated fats, also known as omega-3 fatty acids, are beneficial for human health.
3. Foods Rich in Beneficial Fats
Which foods contain healthy fats? Let's explore further to see what types of foods to eat to supplement fats!
3.1. Foods containing monounsaturated fats
Unsaturated fats are beneficial for our health and essential for our bodies to store energy and maintain bodily functions. It's crucial to choose the right sources of foods rich in unsaturated fats to ensure health and prevent heart diseases. So, which foods should you add to your menu to supplement unsaturated fats? These are the types of foods:
- Nuts such as cashews, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, chia seeds, and even sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds.
- Vegetable oils like olive oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, and rapeseed oil.
- Fresh avocado, almond butter, peanut butter, coconut butter, peanut butter, and various types of seeds.
- Additionally, lean meat also contains unsaturated fats.
3.2. Foods containing polyunsaturated fats
Polyunsaturated fats are believed to have a more positive effect than monounsaturated fats. However, both types of fats play a crucial role in preventing heart diseases and reducing bad cholesterol levels in the blood. Therefore, add the following foods to your diet to provide your body with polyunsaturated fats:
Some foods rich in healthy fats
- Seeds such as sesame seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds,...
- Grains like corn, soybeans, and soy products such as soy milk, tofu,...
- Nuts.
- Vegetable oils like sunflower oil, sesame oil,...
- Various types of fish like salmon, tuna,...
Note that both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are crucial for our health. Therefore, we should incorporate foods containing both types of fats into our diet to maintain a healthy and active body.
3.3. Foods rich in omega-3 and omega-6
What foods should you eat for omega 3 and omega 6? These are the foods rich in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. They are essential components of our daily diet, helping maintain the body's health and reducing the risk of heart disease. To provide an adequate supply of these two types of fats to the body, you can consume the following foods:
Foods rich in beneficial fats - omega 3 to eat
Various types of fish such as trout, salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines... They are an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids and also provide protein for the body.
Fruits like avocados, walnuts... contain plenty of beneficial unsaturated fats for the body.
Vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil, flaxseed oil, and fish oil are also sources of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.
In addition, nuts and legumes such as flaxseeds and soybeans are also rich in these beneficial unsaturated fats. They can be easily and conveniently incorporated into your daily diet.
4. Expert advice on fats
After learning about which foods contain fats, it's important to know how to use them. Our bodies need both saturated and unsaturated fats to maintain health and enhance body functions. According to nutrition experts' recommendations, we should limit saturated fat intake to less than 7% of daily calorie consumption. That's about under 140 calories in a 2000-calorie diet per day. This will help reduce the risk of heart disease and other diet-related health conditions.
Overconsumption of fats can lead to overweight and obesity
Nutritionists advise that we need to moderate our daily fat intake to protect our health and prevent diseases. The Ministry of Health's Nutrition Institute also recommends that adults consume fats within the range of 18-25% of total body energy. However, for children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women, the need for fat consumption will be higher. Therefore, it's essential to understand the mechanism and role of fats in the body to adjust a suitable diet and maintain optimal health.
So, we've learned about which foods contain fats. Controlling fat intake in our diet is essential for maintaining good health and preventing heart-related diseases.
