Fat is one of the most misunderstood elements of a healthy diet. It is almost impossible not to cringe when someone uses it in a positive light because for decades diet “experts” have touted the value of a low-fat diet. In actuality, our bodies create substances from fats that are essential for good health.
The body uses fat for everything from brain function to energy storage. Fat allows the body to make hormones, to obtain healthy skin and cell membranes, and to transport and absorb vitamins. A moderately active person can consume healthy fat for approximately ⅓ of his or her daily calorie intake. Some people thrive on even more, which is why at Thistle we aim to have about 40% of the calories in our meal delivery plans come from good fats!
What is Considered a Healthy Fat Food?
Good fats are those that are naturally occurring and haven’t been damaged by high heat, refining, or overprocessing. Saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats all have health benefits—provided they are consumed in healthy moderation and in consideration of existing health conditions.
Natural fatty acids (omega-3’s, 6’s, and 9’s) and saturated fats, for example, are extremely beneficial as long as they come from the right sources. The body cannot make essential fatty acids, omega-3, or omega-6 fats, which means we must get them through our food. Whenever possible, incorporate these foods into your diet through organic sources. Genetic modification and heavy pesticides used in conventional foods can turn a good fat into a bad one. Many environmental toxins accumulate in the tissues of both plant and animal foods, which can make them detrimental to our health.
The Truth About Saturated Fats
Saturated fats come mostly from animals and are primarily found in meat and dairy products. They tend to have a bad reputation, but many nutrition experts believe it is not animal fat that is necessarily the problem, but rather the fact that these sources of fat are usually refined, heated at high temperatures, or polluted by commercial farming methods. Due to abundant antibiotic and steroid use, fats from conventionally fed factory-farm animals should be consumed with caution, if at all. Saturated fat found in high-fat vegan foods such as coconut oil are healthy options as long as they have not been exposed to high heat or chemical contamination.
At Thistle, we rely on saturated fats from clean, natural sources like coconut, olives, cocoa, nuts and seeds (in the form of oils, milks, and butters). Saturated fat is one of the main components of brain cells and is therefore necessary for healthy brain function. Additional benefits of healthy saturated fats include:
- Improving the quality of LDL
- Raising HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol)
- Promoting weight loss
- Guarding against heart disease
So, Which Fats Are Bad?
Trans fats, on the other hand, are considered bad fats as they are created by an industrial process that forcibly adds hydrogen atoms into liquid vegetable oils (hydrogenation). This process takes oils that are usually liquid at room temperature and turns them into solids. Although they have a longer shelf life than healthy fat foods, they increase levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and put you at a higher risk for heart disease. According to fats researcher, Mary Enig, Ph.D., trans fatty acids disrupt the body’s workings at the cellular level and interfere with and block the health-promoting functions of the essential fatty acids.
Top Healthy Fat Foods Found at Thistle
We use a large variety of clean, organically produced sources of plant-based saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat to help you get the right amount of macronutrients for your body’s needs. These sources include:
- Coconut (shredded coconut meat, coconut milk, or unrefined virgin coconut oil)
- Olives and extra virgin olive oil
- Avocado and avocado oil
- Nuts, nut butters and nut milks, including almond, walnut, pecan, hazelnut, peanut
- Seeds, seed butters and seed milks, including hemp, sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, and chia
We make sure these fats have been protected from heat, light, and oxygen so they do not become rancid and compromise their nutritional value. When it comes to animals, we use them sparingly and make sure they’re from a source we can trust. This goes for our organic and pasture-raised eggs, our chicken, turkey, and pork, and our steelhead trout and shrimp.
How Much Good Fat Should I Eat?
Obtaining fats from a diverse selection of cleanly and sustainably-produced plants is the best way to ensure a balanced intake of all fatty acids. The majority should come from whole high fat plant-based foods themselves, with small-to-moderate amounts from added fats like coconut oil, avocado, and extra virgin olive oil. For polyunsaturated fatty acids, focus on a healthy ratio of about three omega-6 fatty acids to one omega-3 fatty acid. Most Thistle meals contain this ratio, making it easy it easy to get the nutrition you need!
In total, aim for about five-seven servings of fat per day, but this number could change based on your activity level and individual health needs and goals. To give you a sense of what this means:
- one serving of oil is about 1-2 tablespoons
- one serving of nuts and seeds is about 2 tablespoons
- one serving of avocado is ¼ to ½ of the fruit (depending on the size)
- one serving of olives is about ¼ cup
- one serving of coconut milk is about ¼ cup
- one serving of high-quality meat is 3-6 oz per day
Make sure to check out some of our best healthy fat options coming up on our menu!
Fat is one of the most misunderstood elements of a healthy diet. It is almost impossible not to cringe when someone uses it in a positive light because for decades diet “experts” have touted the value of a low-fat diet. In actuality, our bodies create substances from fats that are essential for good health.
The body uses fat for everything from brain function to energy storage. Fat allows the body to make hormones, to obtain healthy skin and cell membranes, and to transport and absorb vitamins. A moderately active person can consume healthy fat for approximately ⅓ of his or her daily calorie intake. Some people thrive on even more, which is why at Thistle we aim to have about 40% of the calories in our meal delivery plans come from good fats!
What is Considered a Healthy Fat Food?
Good fats are those that are naturally occurring and haven’t been damaged by high heat, refining, or overprocessing. Saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats all have health benefits—provided they are consumed in healthy moderation and in consideration of existing health conditions.
Natural fatty acids (omega-3’s, 6’s, and 9’s) and saturated fats, for example, are extremely beneficial as long as they come from the right sources. The body cannot make essential fatty acids, omega-3, or omega-6 fats, which means we must get them through our food. Whenever possible, incorporate these foods into your diet through organic sources. Genetic modification and heavy pesticides used in conventional foods can turn a good fat into a bad one. Many environmental toxins accumulate in the tissues of both plant and animal foods, which can make them detrimental to our health.
The Truth About Saturated Fats
Saturated fats come mostly from animals and are primarily found in meat and dairy products. They tend to have a bad reputation, but many nutrition experts believe it is not animal fat that is necessarily the problem, but rather the fact that these sources of fat are usually refined, heated at high temperatures, or polluted by commercial farming methods. Due to abundant antibiotic and steroid use, fats from conventionally fed factory-farm animals should be consumed with caution, if at all. Saturated fat found in high-fat vegan foods such as coconut oil are healthy options as long as they have not been exposed to high heat or chemical contamination.
At Thistle, we rely on saturated fats from clean, natural sources like coconut, olives, cocoa, nuts and seeds (in the form of oils, milks, and butters). Saturated fat is one of the main components of brain cells and is therefore necessary for healthy brain function. Additional benefits of healthy saturated fats include:
- Improving the quality of LDL
- Raising HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol)
- Promoting weight loss
- Guarding against heart disease
So, Which Fats Are Bad?
Trans fats, on the other hand, are considered bad fats as they are created by an industrial process that forcibly adds hydrogen atoms into liquid vegetable oils (hydrogenation). This process takes oils that are usually liquid at room temperature and turns them into solids. Although they have a longer shelf life than healthy fat foods, they increase levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and put you at a higher risk for heart disease. According to fats researcher, Mary Enig, Ph.D., trans fatty acids disrupt the body’s workings at the cellular level and interfere with and block the health-promoting functions of the essential fatty acids.
Top Healthy Fat Foods Found at Thistle
We use a large variety of clean, organically produced sources of plant-based saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat to help you get the right amount of macronutrients for your body’s needs. These sources include:
- Coconut (shredded coconut meat, coconut milk, or unrefined virgin coconut oil)
- Olives and extra virgin olive oil
- Avocado and avocado oil
- Nuts, nut butters and nut milks, including almond, walnut, pecan, hazelnut, peanut
- Seeds, seed butters and seed milks, including hemp, sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, and chia
We make sure these fats have been protected from heat, light, and oxygen so they do not become rancid and compromise their nutritional value. When it comes to animals, we use them sparingly and make sure they’re from a source we can trust. This goes for our organic and pasture-raised eggs, our chicken, turkey, and pork, and our steelhead trout and shrimp.
How Much Good Fat Should I Eat?
Obtaining fats from a diverse selection of cleanly and sustainably-produced plants is the best way to ensure a balanced intake of all fatty acids. The majority should come from whole high fat plant-based foods themselves, with small-to-moderate amounts from added fats like coconut oil, avocado, and extra virgin olive oil. For polyunsaturated fatty acids, focus on a healthy ratio of about three omega-6 fatty acids to one omega-3 fatty acid. Most Thistle meals contain this ratio, making it easy it easy to get the nutrition you need!
In total, aim for about five-seven servings of fat per day, but this number could change based on your activity level and individual health needs and goals. To give you a sense of what this means:
- one serving of oil is about 1-2 tablespoons
- one serving of nuts and seeds is about 2 tablespoons
- one serving of avocado is ¼ to ½ of the fruit (depending on the size)
- one serving of olives is about ¼ cup
- one serving of coconut milk is about ¼ cup
- one serving of high-quality meat is 3-6 oz per day
Make sure to check out some of our best healthy fat options coming up on our menu!
