When people hear the word ‘fats’ we automatically get negative thoughts. Fats are actually an important macro nutrient in our diets and if you have some fitness related goals in mind you should make sure you are eating enough fats. This doesn’t mean eating as much junk food as possible… There are healthy fats that you can introduce to your diet. One gram of fat is 9 calories compared to the 4 grams that are in one gram of protein or carbohydrates. This means that if you are on a calorie controlled diet, you should be cautious of going overboard with the fats as it will mean you overall daily calories will be high.
Why do you need fats
Fats contribute to a normal hormone function and they also help the body absorb Vitamin A, Vitamin D and Vitamin E. Dietary fats also help give your body energy while supporting cell functions.
Healthy Fats Options
There are many foods that you can consider adding to your diet if you are looking to introduce more healthy fat. Some of these are listed below:
- Peanut Butter
- Avocado
- Egg yolk
- Dark chocolate
- Nuts
- Full fat yogurt
How much fat do you need to eat
Fats should make up around 20-35% of your total daily calories and keeping these as mostly healthy fats will be more beneficial. If you don't track what you eat then you can get a rough idea of if you are eating enough healthy fats by looking at the list above.
