For many of us who have grown up with the low-fat message, it’s hard to accept that a high-fat meal could ever be good for us and what’s more, better for us than its low fat, skimmed equivalent. However, moderate amounts of the right types of fat are a vital part of a healthy, balanced diet, because they’re a source of essential fatty acids that the body can’t produce itself, plus they help us absorb fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D and E.

Increasing our intake of these essential fatty acids may even help manage certain diseases, improve our body composition and keep our brains sharp. This is because, where our bodies are concerned, this fat is not simply a rich source of calories it’s a key component of important messengers that help control growth, immunity, reproduction and other aspects of metabolism, and fat plays a structural role too - in our cell membranes, retinas and brain.

We’ve got four deliciously high fat, but good-for-you, recipes to try:

35g per serving

6g per serving

Although a serving of this dish provides half your daily recommended maximum intake of total fats (70g), the fats themselves are largely the heart-healthy, unsaturated varieties including mono-unsaturated fats from extra virgin olive oil and poly-unsaturated fats, including the omega-3 variety, from mackerel.

Oily fish, like mackerel as well as others such as salmon and trout, provide the richest source of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help lower levels of triglycerides (blood fats), protect against dry eyes and ease inflammation. This recipe also offers a generous contribution towards your 5 a day, being packed with plant compounds that offer a protective, antioxidant effect. All of this makes it a great choice for those with concerns over heart health.

9g per serving

2g per serving

Higher in calories than many other condiments, and with most of those calories coming from fat, pesto may have been one tasty addition you’ve tended to sideline. However, with the majority of fat coming from olive oil and pine nuts, and only a small amount from parmesan, these fats are largely the healthier, poly-unsaturated variety, which makes this recipe especially helpful for those with inflammatory conditions. Studies also suggest those who regularly consume olive oil may enjoy a significant risk reduction for several cardiovascular outcomes, including stroke.

Making your own pesto is definitely worthwhile. Not only does it taste better than the shop-bought version, it allows you to use nutritious, fresh ingredients and to control the salt levels – a useful tip for those who may be salt sensitive and with a tendency to high blood pressure.

9g per serving

6g per serving

With the predominant fat in this recipe being saturates, the type we’ve been told to limit, you’d be forgiven for passing on this particular side. However, recent studies suggest the picture is not quite as clear cut as we once thought, with saturated fats from certain dairy foods, especially fermented dairy, having a neutral or even positive effect on heart health. This may be because of other nutrients, like calcium or the fermentation process itself, that may modify the effect these fats have on the body.

Greek yogurt is also rich in bio-available protein, making this recipe an ideal post-exercise choice because it promotes muscle repair and recovery.

24g per serving

5g per serving

Avocados are nutrient-dense and enjoy some pretty unique nutritional characteristics. They’re richer than olives in the heart-friendly monounsaturated fat, called oleic acid, and are a good source of fat-soluble vitamin E and skin-supportive carotenoids. In fact, it’s because avocado is fat-rich that these nutrients are more easily absorbed.

With more soluble fibre and plant sterols, less sugar and more beneficial fats than any other fruit, avocado may also help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Just half an avocado counts as one of your five-a-day, making it a delicious addition to a balanced diet, and especially so for those looking to support their skin health and appearance.

If you’re accustomed to checking labels, as well as the traffic light colour coding system, where red reflects high levels of total fat (17.5g or more per 100g) and saturated fat (5g or more per 100g), and green indicates low levels (3g and 1.5g or less respectively), then fear not. When shopping for packaged foods, checking this information remains a useful thing to do because it helps you make informed decisions. What’s more, the overall objective remains the same - eat red-coded foods occasionally and green-coded foods more often.

Visit the NHS website for more information on food labelling

For those seeking a quicker, easier way to judge whether a food is healthy, prioritise products made with minimally processed ingredients, and focus on balance. This means you’ll be looking for a product that offers a combination of fats, lean protein and slow-releasing carbs.

It’s true that for decades, fat, and especially saturated fat, has had a bad rap, but what the science is now telling us is that we need to consider different types of fats separately, rather than as a single macronutrient. That said, there is still much for us to learn, and for this reason current nutritional guidelines remain unchanged – this means we’re advised to limit our intake of saturated fat and, where appropriate, replace it with the unsaturated varieties such as those found in oily fish, olive oil, nuts and seeds.

With this in mind, the UK Government continues to recommend that our total fat intake should not exceed 35 per cent of our total daily energy (calorie) needs. (Saturated fats should be limited to 11 per cent of our total daily energy (calorie) needs.) In practice, as long as you stay within a normal, healthy calorie intake for you and you’re a person who can process, metabolise and use fat effectively, then you don’t need to obsess about the amount of fat you’re eating, just aim to make it predominantly the healthier variety.

Types of fat
7 high-fat foods to include in your diet
How much fat should I eat each day?
Is saturated fat bad for you?
The truth about low-fat foods

Kerry Torrens BSc. (Hons) PgCert MBANT is a BANT Registered Nutritionist® with a post graduate diploma in Personalised Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy. She is a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and a member of the Guild of Food Writers. Over the last 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including Good Food.

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