Foods High in Heart Healthy Fats (Video)

You don’t need to steer clear of fat — in fact, there are certain types of fats you may want to add to your diet to boost your heart health.

If you like guacamole, here’s some good news for you. Avocadoes are one of the best foods to eat for heart-healthy fats, along with olive oil, a variety of nuts and seeds, as well certain oils and fish.

So what makes these fats better for you than eating a bowl of ice cream? The difference is that the fats that are considered heart healthy are those that are unsaturated. Both monounsaturated fats, as well as polyunsaturated fats can actually contribute to improved heart health. Unsaturated fats tend to come from plants and whole foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids, verses saturated fats, which tend to come from sources such as dairy and processed meats and foods.

Consuming high amounts of saturated fat has been closely linked to high cholesterol, as well as increased risk for stroke and heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to add healthier unsaturated fats to your diet

Below we’ve listed foods high in heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that you can start incorporating into your diet today!

Foods that Contain Heart-Healthy Monounsaturated Fats:

• Avocado
• Olives
• Olive Oil
• Nuts, including almonds, hazelnuts, pecans and macadamia nuts

Foods that Contain Heart-Healthy Polyunsaturated Fats:

• Seeds, including flax seeds and sunflower seeds
• Walnuts
• Fish, including salmon, anchovies, mackerel, trout and tuna

Eating more foods with heart-healthy fats can help reduce your cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well as your risk for heart disease. Not only that, but they also boost brain function!

Incorporating heart-healthy fats into your diet is easy when you get a little bit creative. For example, you can use avocado spread as a substitute for mayo, dice avocado as a salad-topper or sprinkle some flax and sunflower seeds into a salad or bowl of oatmeal.

Your challenge this week — substitute a heart-healthy fat for where you would normally eat a saturated fat. Was it difficult or enjoyable? Let us know how it goes in the comments.