Healthy Food

Benefits of good fat for weight management

We’re talking about the F word. Fat. And specifically, the good kind.

Fat has long had a bad rep when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, with many adding low-fat alternatives to their shopping baskets instead. But good fats come with plenty of benefits and, in fact, can aid weight management.

Here, we take a closer inspection at what exactly makes a fat ‘good’, and explain how it can help you maintain a healthy weight.

What makes a fat good?

There are different types of fats, and not all should be demonised.

Monounsaturated fats help to protect your heart by maintaining levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol, while reducing levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol in your blood.

Polyunsaturated fats can also help to lower the level of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol in your blood.

Trans fats are the fats you may want to limit. They can increase bad cholesterol and are also linked to an increase in the risk of heart disease and other health issues. These are often found in processed and pre-packaged foods.

Examples of healthy fats:

Nuts, such as almonds, cashews and walnuts
Seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower and chia
Nut and seed butters, such as peanut butter
Avocado
Eggs
Olives
Olive oil (we love The Governor Extra Virgin Olive Oil – use LIZLOVES for 10% off)
Fatty fish, such as salmon, anchovy and tuna
Full-fat dairy, such as whole milk and yoghurt

Benefits of good fat for weight management

Feel fuller for longer

Find yourself picking between meals or snacks? Eating healthy fats at mealtimes can help to keep us fuller for longer as they take longer to digest.

This means you’re less likely to feel the need to graze or eat more overall throughout the day.

And if you do feel hungry, opting for a healthy high-fat snack, such as a boiled egg, a handful of seeds and nuts or some olives, can help to keep you feeling satiated for longer than a sugary, carb-heavy snack.

We love adding a scoop of Neutrient’s Butterfat Keto to our morning coffee to increase its good fat content. Use the LIZLOVES code for 15% off here.

They taste good

Nobody likes eating food they don’t really enjoy, which is why dieting is often unsustainable.

But not only are they good for you, healthy fats taste great. They are often creamier and richer than their lower-fat counterparts.

This means you will be left feeling full and more satisfied by the end of your meal and less likely to be wanting more.

Low-fat foods are often higher in sugar

If you have ever counted your calories, you will know that low-fat foods are almost always lower in calories.

However, in order to remove fat but retain taste, food producers often use sugar instead. This means lower fat alternatives are actually often higher in sugars despite being lower in calories, according to research.

And if we eat too much sugar, this can contribute to weight gain.