A healthy keto diet should include healthy fats from various food sources, including avocados, olive oil and coconut oil (which contains medium-chain triglycerides that can be converted to ketones), salmon and mackerel as well as chia seeds, nuts/nut butters/full fat dairy.
Healthy fats can keep you satisfied while providing essential fatty acids to promote gut health and support brain functioning.
Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered beneficial to our health, as they can reduce blood pressure, prevent heart disease, improve hormone health and support weight management and loss. You’ll find them in foods like olive oil, avocados and certain nuts; while being key components of any keto diet program that keeps us feeling full while providing vital energy.
When selecting healthy fats for keto, prioritize those containing monounsaturated fatty acids – these fats feature one double bond in their molecular structure and remain liquid at room temperature, being resistant to rancidity as they keep their flavor and nutritional benefits for longer.
Foods rich in monounsaturated fats include various vegetables such as avocados, olives and arugula; they’re packed full of vitamin E and other antioxidants for extra nutrition. You’ll also find monounsaturated fats in nuts and seeds such as peanuts, pecans, almonds and cashews; these are an excellent source of protein fiber vitamins and minerals!
Red meat is another great source of monounsaturated fatty acids, providing your diet with essential iron, zinc and other vital nutrients. Incorporate some red meat into your meal plans on occasion for its numerous health benefits – just remember not too much at once!
Plant-based sources of monounsaturated fats, like coconut and palm oils, may also provide essential nutrition – just be wary when selecting such oils as they typically contain high levels of saturated fat.
Include safflower and sunflower oils as sources of healthy fats in your diet to reduce inflammation risk. Both oils contain polyunsatured fatty acids (PUFAs) in excess, increasing inflammation risk.
Monounsaturated fatty acids can also be found in dairy products like whole milk and butter, offering an abundance of protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals to our diets.
To maximize the benefits of keto dieting, it’s key to prioritize healthy fats over carbohydrates. By restricting your carbohydrate consumption to about 70% of total calorie intake from fats (i.e. avocados, olives, grass-fed butter, salmon and MCT oil), your body can learn to metabolize its own fat stores as fuel – entering ketosis! When creating this plan, make sure your diet includes plenty of foods rich in fatty acid-rich foods – such as avocados olives grass-fed butter grass-fed butter grass-fed butter grass-fed butter grass fed butter grass-fed butter grass fed butter grass-fed butter grass-fed butter salmon MCT oil etc. Also remembering to avoid processed foods as these tend to contain unhealthy trans and saturated fats; read labels carefully so as not to end up doing harm.
Polyunsaturated Fats
Fats are an integral component of a nutritious diet, providing energy, supporting brain and immune health, and aiding absorption of certain vitamins. Unsaturated and monounsaturated fats as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids found in nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, salmon, avocados and nuts tend to be good choices and should typically turn solid when chilled; polyunsaturated fats tend to be heart healthy by replacing saturated with polyunsaturated ones (13).
Saturated fats are found in meat and dairy products such as butter and milk, making them part of a keto diet-compliant meal plan, but should be consumed in moderation to prevent weight gain and disease risk. According to Harvard School research, high saturated fat intake has been linked with higher blood cholesterol levels and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (16).
Choose natural saturated fats such as animal-based butter or ghee, rather than processed trans fats, when choosing saturated fats for cooking purposes. Furthermore, avoid selecting products containing processed margarine or unhealthy oils as these could contain trans fats as well.
Unsaturated fats are key components of the keto diet because they’re heart-healthy and anti-inflammatory; typically derived from plant sources. Finding these types of fatty acids may be tricky due to most foods containing both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated varieties – although avocados and olives provide good sources of both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (16).
Saturated fatty acids play an essential role in the keto diet, yet must be consumed in moderation to provide energy and protect against diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis.
Recent years have witnessed much debate regarding the role of saturated fats in a healthful diet (16). Many believe that too much consumption of these saturated fats increases cholesterol and leads to weight gain; however, recent research indicates they may not be as harmful after all and should instead be replaced with healthier unsaturated fats in order to promote overall wellbeing (14).
Accumulating an optimal amount of healthy fats into your daily routine is integral to maintaining a successful ketogenic diet. Experts suggest getting 55%-60% of calories from fat to reach ketosis. Beneficial sources for your keto diet may include plant-based sources like nut butters, avocados and olive oil as well as fish such as salmon and tuna. Beware trans and partially hydrogenated oils as they have been linked with inflammation, obesity, heart disease and diabetes; choose instead healthy ketogenic lifestyle-promoting fats such as MCT oil from coconut and quickly metabolized by your body for energy production!