The word “fats” scares many. It is one of the most misleading food items by consumers. Everyone thinks that you have to stay away from it; however not all fats are created equal. There are fats that are actually good for you especially for your cardiovascular system; basically they are “heart-healthy”. Here I’ll discuss some nutritious fatty foods that you can incorporate into your diet, many of them may even surprise you.

All Vegetable Oils

Replace solid fats such as butter or margarine (contains trans fats that are bad for you) with oils such as olive oil, grape seed oil, corn oil, and canola oil when cooking or baking. It works well for sautéing and stir-frying.

Peanut Butter

Nearly half the fat in peanut butter is monounsaturated fat (a long name for a good fat). Resist the urge to pour off the heart-healthy oil that’s separated out of natural peanut butter, and mix it in before enjoying your peanut butter.

Avocado

Avocados not only contain monounsaturated fat, but they are also packed with vitamins E, C and B6, potassium and fiber. Try adding avocado to salad, pizza, soup, salsa, eggs and sandwiches.

Walnuts

Walnuts are rich in vitamin E and an excellent plant-based source of omega-3 (the crème la de crème of good fats). Enjoy walnuts as part of your trail mix or even add them to your breakfast cereal, oatmeal and salads.

Flaxseed

Also high in omega-3. Add ground flaxseed to breakfast cereal, yogurt, baked goods and salad dressings. Make sure that the flaxseed is ground up because your body cannot break down whole flaxseeds to access the omega-3-containing oil.

Don’t be afraid of fats; by consuming the right ones you can only achieve a healthier diet.