A healthy balanced diet should include the healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. However, it’s not always easy to know where to find them or how to use them in meals. Below is a guide to using healthier fats in your meals and snacks.
Monounsaturated fat is found in foods such as avocados, almonds, cashews, peanuts and cooking oils made from plants or seeds such as sunflower, canola, soybean, olive, sesame and peanut oils.
Avocado and nuts can be added to salads and a handful of unsalted nuts make a healthy snack any time of the day. Try a handful of almonds sprinkled over breakfast cereal.
Polyunsaturated fat (omega-6) is found in foods such as fish, tahini (sesame seed spread), margarine, linseed (flaxseed), sunflower and safflower oil, pine nuts and brazil nuts.
- Tahini can be used as a spread on crackers instead of butter or used as a base for dips, sauces and stews
- Choose margarine made from sunflower and safflower oils, and use instead of butter on sandwiches and toast
- Sprinkle ground linseed on breakfast cereal or choose wholegrain bread with linseeds.
Add pine nuts or sesame seeds to salads or sprinkle over vegetables.
Polyunsaturated fat (omega-3s) is found in oily fish such as tuna, salmon, sardines and blue mackerel as well as walnuts and linseeds.
