If you’ve ever been told to skip fats to lose weight, you’re not the only one! For years, fat has been unfairly vilified in the nutrition world. But here’s the truth: healthy fats are essential for your overall health and well-being, and they’re actually key to managing your weight and feeling full for longer.
One important aspect of fat consumption that many people overlook is the balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are essential for your body, but they are found in many common oils like soybean, corn, and sunflower oil. These oils are often used in cooking and processed foods. When consumed in excess, omega-6s can promote inflammation in the body, which can contribute to chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.
The problem arises when our diets are disproportionately high in omega-6 fatty acids and too low in omega-3s, which are found in foods such as fatty fish, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts. Omega-3s play a crucial role in reducing inflammation and balancing the effects of omega-6s. If we don’t balance the two, the body can experience chronic inflammation, a root cause of many health issues. So, cooking with a variety of healthy fats and ensuring you’re including more omega-3-rich foods can help keep your body’s inflammatory response in check, supporting your health and weight.
The myth: “Fats make you fat”
The first thing to know is that not all fats are created equal. While some fats should be avoided, healthy fats – like omega-3s found in fatty fish, avocados, nuts, and olive oil – are crucial for your health. These fats help regulate hormones that control hunger, keep your metabolism in check, and support cell function. Healthy fats are not only essential for energy but also help your body absorb important nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are necessary for various bodily functions.
But let’s break it down: there are good fats and bad fats. Understanding the difference can help you make healthier choices.
Fats to avoid: Trans fats and certain oils
Trans fats are the ones you want to avoid at all costs. These are artificial fats created through a process called hydrogenation, which turns liquid oils into solid fats to increase shelf life in processed foods. Trans fats raise bad cholesterol (LDL) while lowering good cholesterol (HDL), increasing your risk of heart disease, inflammation, and other chronic conditions. You’ll typically find trans fats in:
- Packaged baked goods (cakes, biscuits, pie crusts, pastries)
- Fried foods (French fries, fried chicken, battered fish)
- Processed foods & ready meals (some frozen pizzas, ready-to-eat pies or quiches)
- Margarine and shortening (a solid fat often used in commercial baking)
- Snack foods (some crackers)
Other oils to limit include:
- Vegetable oils, like soybean, corn oil, and sunflower oil, which are high in omega-6 fatty acids. Too much omega-6 can contribute to inflammation if not balanced with omega-3s. Choosing extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil for cooking can help reduce this risk.
Healthy fats for your gut & heart
In addition to supporting weight control, omega-3 fatty acids play a major role in gut health. They help promote a healthy gut microbiome by supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria and reducing inflammation, which can help digestion and immunity. Healthy fats also support heart health by reducing inflammation, lowering cholesterol, and preventing plaque buildup in arteries.
Butter, ghee & coconut oil – a healthier way to cook
When it comes to cooking fats, many people reach for vegetable oils or cheap cooking sprays without realising the health benefits of butter, ghee, and coconut oil – two traditional fats that are now gaining popularity in health-conscious kitchens. Here’s why these fats, when used in moderation, can be great for cooking and even healthier than some other options.
Ghee, a form of clarified butter, is becoming more widely available in health food shops and most major supermarkets now. Unlike regular butter, ghee is made by removing the milk solids, leaving behind pure butterfat. This makes ghee lactose-free and easier to digest, making it a great option for those with lactose intolerance or dairy sensitivities. Plus, a pot of ghee lasts ages – you don’t need much!
Ghee is known for its high smoke point (around 450°F or 232°C), which makes it an excellent choice for high-heat cooking such as frying, sautéing, or roasting. When you cook with ghee, you don’t have to worry about it breaking down and forming harmful compounds, as can happen with vegetable oils when they’re heated too high. This makes ghee a stable fat for cooking that retains its nutritional integrity under heat.
Ghee is also rich in butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that supports gut health by nourishing the cells of the digestive tract and reducing inflammation. It also has a rich flavor, which makes it an ideal fat for adding depth to your cooking while delivering nutritional benefits.
Butter has long been misunderstood due to its saturated fat content. However, recent research suggests that moderate butter consumption can be part of a healthy diet, especially when sourced from grass-fed cows.
Grass-fed butter is higher in omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), both of which have anti-inflammatory properties and support heart health. Unlike vegetable oils, butter doesn’t contain harmful trans fats, and it’s a natural source of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K, which are essential for immune function, skin health, and bone health.
Butter also has a rich, creamy flavour that improves the taste of dishes, and when used sparingly, it can be a delicious addition to meals without compromising your health.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is a versatile cooking choice with a high smoke point, making it ideal for frying, baking, and sautéing. Its mildly sweet, nutty flavour really enhances a variety of dishes, from curries to baked goods. It’s rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which may support metabolism and provide quick energy. Coconut oil also contains lauric acid, known for its antimicrobial properties that can support gut health. Used in moderation, it offers great culinary and nutritional benefits.
Nutritional benefits of olive oil and extra virgin olive oil
Olive oil, particularly extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), is highly valued for its nutritional profile and health benefits. It is rich in monounsaturated fats, primarily oleic acid, which is known to support heart health by lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels (HDL). Extra virgin olive oil is also packed with antioxidants like vitamin E and polyphenols, which combat oxidative stress and reduce inflammation in the body. These properties make it a key component of the Mediterranean diet, often associated with improved cardiovascular health and longevity. While regular olive oil still contains healthy fats, EVOO is less processed, retaining more nutrients and natural flavours. Plus, it’s delicious!
Top tip: Buy your olive oil in glass bottles rather than plastic. Glass preserves its quality and flavour because it protects it from the light and potential chemicals that can leach from plastic over time. Plus, glass is, of course, more environmentally friendly compared to plastic.
Using olive oil and EVOO in cooking
Both olive oil and extra virgin olive oil are versatile in the kitchen, but their uses can differ slightly. Extra virgin olive oil, with its robust flavour and lower smoke point, is ideal for drizzling over salads, dipping bread, or finishing dishes to enhance flavor without high heat.
Olive oil, which is more refined, has a higher smoke point and is better suited for sautéing, roasting, or shallow frying. While EVOO can also be used for cooking, it’s best to avoid using it for prolonged high-heat methods like deep frying, as this can degrade its nutrients and alter its flavour. Including both types in your kitchen allows you to balance nutrition and functionality for various culinary needs. I use EVOO in most of my salad dressings or drizzled over veggies!
Final thoughts
Cooking with healthy fats offers a number of benefits. They are nutrient-dense, support digestion, and provide stable cooking options for high-heat meals.
While it’s important to use them in moderation, they can be a valuable addition to any well-rounded, health-focused diet. So, next time you’re in the kitchen, reach for ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, or grass-fed butter and enjoy the flavour and health benefits they bring to your meals!
Let’s be honest: the word “fat” has got a bad reputation. It’s time we reframe the word and recognise that not all fats are created equal.
Will the word fat ever lose its stigma I wonder? It’s a question that reflects a broader cultural and societal challenge because the word “fat” carries a lot of baggage, having been used both as a description of body type and as shorthand for something undesirable in health and nutrition. However, there are now signs of the stigma starting to shift, thanks to changing narratives around health, nutrition, and body image.
Thankfully, there is a rising conversation about healthy fats and a greater focus on nutritional education. With more focus on personalised nutrition and holistic health, there is a growing recognition that dietary fat is not inherently harmful, but rather depends on type and context. As the science behind fats becomes more widely understood, misconceptions – like the old “fat-free” = healthy narrative – are slowly being corrected. This is something I am so pleased about as a Health Coach!
Stigma is deeply ingrained, and societal change takes time. But initiatives like health coaching, where we educate and normalise discussions about healthy fats, are crucial in reshaping perspectives.
Let’s take a moment to thank these misunderstood nutrients for helping us stay full, healthy, and energised.
After all, sometimes the good stuff just needs a little PR makeover!
Niki
