In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat Are They?AvocadoFatty FishFull-Fat Salad DressingsNutsFull-Fat Yogurt
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
What Are They?
Avocado
Fatty Fish
Full-Fat Salad Dressings
Nuts
Full-Fat Yogurt
Close
Photo:Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
The fat-free trend of the ’90s may be done and dusted, as high-fat diets like keto continue to remain popular. Since opinions on fat flip-flop often, you may be confused about how fat fits into a healthy diet for weight loss. Rather than avoiding fat, including healthy fats in your diet may help you lose weight.
Fat does contain more calories compared to carbohydrates or protein. One gram of fat has 9 calories, while 1 gram of protein or carbohydrate has 4 calories.It makes sense, then, that low-fat diets may help you consume fewer calories. However, not all fat is created equal, and losing weight ismore nuanced than simply counting calories. Fat is a vital nutrient that provides energy, supports cell function and helps your body absorb nutrients and produce hormones.Fat also makes food more satiating and enhances its flavor.
How to Lose Weight When You Don’t Know Where to Start, According to a Dietitian
The Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes healthy fats, has been shown to support weight loss. A study found that people who follow the Mediterranean diet were twice as likely to maintain their weight loss than those who weren’t following the diet.In addition, interventional trials have confirmed the Mediterranean diet’s effectiveness in reducing waist circumference and visceral fat. This dietary approach is effective for individuals with overweight or obesity, particularly when paired with calorie restriction and physical activity.
What Are Healthy Fats?
First off, what do we mean when we say you should eat more healthy fats? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults should aim for 20% to 35% of their calorie intake from fat sources, with less than 10% of daily calories from saturated fat.There are three main groups of fats: saturated fats, unsaturated fats and trans fats. The chemical structure of each type of fat is unique, which means they each function differently in our body.
Saturated and trans fats are the so-called “bad” fats. Eating a diet that is high insaturated fathas been associated with higher risk of heart disease. Foods high in saturated fats include butter, whole milk, cheese, red meats, baked goods and oils that are solid at room temperature, such as coconut oil. That said, saturated fats shouldn’t be avoided and they do play an important role in keeping our body healthy. Instead of aiming to eliminate saturated fat, it’s more beneficial to focus on increasing unsaturated fats topromote a good balance of fatsin our diet. Likewise, trans fats are also a risk to your heart health, as they raise levels of unhealthy LDL cholesterol.
The “good” fats are unsaturated fats, and there are two main types: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and have been linked to health benefits like lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and a reduced risk of heart disease.
Now that low-fat diets aren’t as trendy, the popularity of avocados has grown tremendously. (We’re looking at youavocado toast!) Packed with fiber and monounsaturated fats, avocados are known for enhancing satiety, making them particularly helpful for weight management. Feeling full after a meal naturally curbs overeating, supporting healthier eating habits. Notably, a study found that while consuming one avocado daily for six months didn’t significantly reduce visceral fat, it did modestly improve diet quality and lower total and LDL cholesterol levels, reinforcing the benefits of avocados as part of a balanced diet.
Protein plays an important role in weight loss because it boosts post-meal fullness while also helping to maintain muscle mass when losing weight. Fish, including “fatty fish” like salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines and anchovies, are a naturally lean source of protein. The fat in fish includes the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. “EPA and DHA differ from the omega-3s available in plants, and eating seafood is one of the few ways to increase these essential nutrients, which our bodies cannot make on their own,” saysCaroline Thomason, RD, CDCES, a Washington, D.C.-based dietitian and diabetes educator.
If the thought of eating vegetables without your favorite dressing turns you off, don’t worry. The popularity of “fat-free” dressings is waning since it was based on outdated science.
Full-fat salad dressingnot only makes salad taste better, but the fat is essential for helping you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in those vegetables, such as vitamins A, E, D and K. “Using a full-fat salad dressing is also a lot more satisfying than a fat-free one, and it is digested a lot slower than carbs or protein-rich foods, therefore providing you with a feeling of fullness for longer,” saysRoxana Ehsani, M.S., RD, a Miami-based board-certified sports dietitian.
How to Choose the Healthiest Salad Dressing, According to a Dietitian
“Walnuts get my vote for the best healthy fat for weight loss,” saysSamantha Cassetty, M.S., RD, a plant-forward nutrition and wellness expert. “A two-year study found that healthy older adults could incorporate 1 to 2 ounces of walnuts into their daily diet without leading to weight gain,” she says.
Doesn’t full-fat yogurt contain “bad” saturated fat? Yes, but hear us out. Not only is a full-fat yogurt full of protein, calcium, phosphorus, B vitamins and gut-healthy probiotics, it will also help keep you fuller for longer.
Research continues to link yogurt intake with a lower risk of weight gain over time. A review found that eating full-fat dairy foods, like yogurt, doesn’t cause weight gain.The studies showed that when eaten in moderate amounts, full-fat dairy can help maintain a healthy weight and support heart health. This means we should look at the bigger picture of how dairy fits into an overall healthy diet, instead of just focusing on the fat.
The Bottom Line
Don’t be afraid to include fat in your diet anymore—even when you are trying to lose weight. Fat is not only an essential nutrient, but it also enhances the flavor of food and makes it more satisfying. Rather than avoiding fat—like we did in the ’90s—the goal is to include healthy fats in your diet, such as nuts, avocado and full-fat yogurt. Get ready to dig in.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture.Food and nutrition information center.American Heart Association.Dietary fats.Poulimeneas D, Anastasiou CA, Santos I, Hill JO, Panagiotakos DB, Yannakoulia M.Exploring the relationship between the Mediterranean diet and weight loss maintenance: the MedWeight study.Br J Nutr. 2020;124(8):874-880. doi:10.1017/S0007114520001798Muscogiuri G, Verde L, Sulu C, et al.Mediterranean diet and obesity-related disorders: what is the evidence?.Curr Obes Rep. 2022;11(4):287-304. doi:10.1007/s13679-022-00481-1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture.Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025.Lichtenstein AH, Kris‐Etherton PM, Petersen KS, et al.Effect of incorporating 1 avocado per day versus habitual diet on visceral adiposity: a randomized trial.JAHA. 2022;11(14)025657. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.025657Liaset B, Øyen J, Jacques H, Kristiansen K, Madsen L.Seafood intake and the development of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.Nutrition Research Reviews. 2019;32(1):146-167. doi:10.1017/S0954422418000240U.S. Department of Agriculture.Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Baer DJ, Dalton M, Blundell J, Finlayson G, Hu FB.Nuts, energy balance and body weight.Nutrients. 2023;15(5):1162. Published 2023 Feb 25. doi:10.3390/nu15051162Bitok E, Rajaram S, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Oda K, Sala-Vila A, Serra-Mir M, Ros E, Sabaté J.Effects of long-term walnut supplementation on body weight in free-living elderly: Results of a randomized controlled trial.Nutrients. 2018; 10(9):1317. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10091317Pokala A, Kraft J, Taormina VM, Michalski M-C, Vors C, Torres-Gonzalez M, Bruno RS.Whole milk dairy foods and cardiometabolic health: Dairy fat and beyond.Nutr Res.2024;126:99-122. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2024.03.010Feng Y, Zhao Y, Liu J, Huang Z, Yang X, Qin P, Chen C, Luo X, Li Y, Wu Y, Li X, Huang H, Hu F, Hu D, Liu Y, Zhang M.Consumption of dairy products and the risk of overweight or obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A dose–response meta-analysis and systematic review of cohort studies.Adv Nutr.2022;13(6):2165-2179. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmac096
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture.Food and nutrition information center.American Heart Association.Dietary fats.Poulimeneas D, Anastasiou CA, Santos I, Hill JO, Panagiotakos DB, Yannakoulia M.Exploring the relationship between the Mediterranean diet and weight loss maintenance: the MedWeight study.Br J Nutr. 2020;124(8):874-880. doi:10.1017/S0007114520001798Muscogiuri G, Verde L, Sulu C, et al.Mediterranean diet and obesity-related disorders: what is the evidence?.Curr Obes Rep. 2022;11(4):287-304. doi:10.1007/s13679-022-00481-1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture.Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025.Lichtenstein AH, Kris‐Etherton PM, Petersen KS, et al.Effect of incorporating 1 avocado per day versus habitual diet on visceral adiposity: a randomized trial.JAHA. 2022;11(14)025657. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.025657Liaset B, Øyen J, Jacques H, Kristiansen K, Madsen L.Seafood intake and the development of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.Nutrition Research Reviews. 2019;32(1):146-167. doi:10.1017/S0954422418000240U.S. Department of Agriculture.Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Baer DJ, Dalton M, Blundell J, Finlayson G, Hu FB.Nuts, energy balance and body weight.Nutrients. 2023;15(5):1162. Published 2023 Feb 25. doi:10.3390/nu15051162Bitok E, Rajaram S, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Oda K, Sala-Vila A, Serra-Mir M, Ros E, Sabaté J.Effects of long-term walnut supplementation on body weight in free-living elderly: Results of a randomized controlled trial.Nutrients. 2018; 10(9):1317. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10091317Pokala A, Kraft J, Taormina VM, Michalski M-C, Vors C, Torres-Gonzalez M, Bruno RS.Whole milk dairy foods and cardiometabolic health: Dairy fat and beyond.Nutr Res.2024;126:99-122. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2024.03.010Feng Y, Zhao Y, Liu J, Huang Z, Yang X, Qin P, Chen C, Luo X, Li Y, Wu Y, Li X, Huang H, Hu F, Hu D, Liu Y, Zhang M.Consumption of dairy products and the risk of overweight or obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A dose–response meta-analysis and systematic review of cohort studies.Adv Nutr.2022;13(6):2165-2179. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmac096
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.Food and nutrition information center.American Heart Association.Dietary fats.Poulimeneas D, Anastasiou CA, Santos I, Hill JO, Panagiotakos DB, Yannakoulia M.Exploring the relationship between the Mediterranean diet and weight loss maintenance: the MedWeight study.Br J Nutr. 2020;124(8):874-880. doi:10.1017/S0007114520001798Muscogiuri G, Verde L, Sulu C, et al.Mediterranean diet and obesity-related disorders: what is the evidence?.Curr Obes Rep. 2022;11(4):287-304. doi:10.1007/s13679-022-00481-1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture.Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025.Lichtenstein AH, Kris‐Etherton PM, Petersen KS, et al.Effect of incorporating 1 avocado per day versus habitual diet on visceral adiposity: a randomized trial.JAHA. 2022;11(14)025657. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.025657Liaset B, Øyen J, Jacques H, Kristiansen K, Madsen L.Seafood intake and the development of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.Nutrition Research Reviews. 2019;32(1):146-167. doi:10.1017/S0954422418000240U.S. Department of Agriculture.Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Baer DJ, Dalton M, Blundell J, Finlayson G, Hu FB.Nuts, energy balance and body weight.Nutrients. 2023;15(5):1162. Published 2023 Feb 25. doi:10.3390/nu15051162Bitok E, Rajaram S, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Oda K, Sala-Vila A, Serra-Mir M, Ros E, Sabaté J.Effects of long-term walnut supplementation on body weight in free-living elderly: Results of a randomized controlled trial.Nutrients. 2018; 10(9):1317. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10091317Pokala A, Kraft J, Taormina VM, Michalski M-C, Vors C, Torres-Gonzalez M, Bruno RS.Whole milk dairy foods and cardiometabolic health: Dairy fat and beyond.Nutr Res.2024;126:99-122. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2024.03.010Feng Y, Zhao Y, Liu J, Huang Z, Yang X, Qin P, Chen C, Luo X, Li Y, Wu Y, Li X, Huang H, Hu F, Hu D, Liu Y, Zhang M.Consumption of dairy products and the risk of overweight or obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A dose–response meta-analysis and systematic review of cohort studies.Adv Nutr.2022;13(6):2165-2179. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmac096
U.S. Department of Agriculture.Food and nutrition information center.
American Heart Association.Dietary fats.
Poulimeneas D, Anastasiou CA, Santos I, Hill JO, Panagiotakos DB, Yannakoulia M.Exploring the relationship between the Mediterranean diet and weight loss maintenance: the MedWeight study.Br J Nutr. 2020;124(8):874-880. doi:10.1017/S0007114520001798
Muscogiuri G, Verde L, Sulu C, et al.Mediterranean diet and obesity-related disorders: what is the evidence?.Curr Obes Rep. 2022;11(4):287-304. doi:10.1007/s13679-022-00481-1
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture.Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025.
Lichtenstein AH, Kris‐Etherton PM, Petersen KS, et al.Effect of incorporating 1 avocado per day versus habitual diet on visceral adiposity: a randomized trial.JAHA. 2022;11(14)025657. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.025657
Liaset B, Øyen J, Jacques H, Kristiansen K, Madsen L.Seafood intake and the development of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.Nutrition Research Reviews. 2019;32(1):146-167. doi:10.1017/S0954422418000240
U.S. Department of Agriculture.Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Baer DJ, Dalton M, Blundell J, Finlayson G, Hu FB.Nuts, energy balance and body weight.Nutrients. 2023;15(5):1162. Published 2023 Feb 25. doi:10.3390/nu15051162
Bitok E, Rajaram S, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Oda K, Sala-Vila A, Serra-Mir M, Ros E, Sabaté J.Effects of long-term walnut supplementation on body weight in free-living elderly: Results of a randomized controlled trial.Nutrients. 2018; 10(9):1317. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10091317
Pokala A, Kraft J, Taormina VM, Michalski M-C, Vors C, Torres-Gonzalez M, Bruno RS.Whole milk dairy foods and cardiometabolic health: Dairy fat and beyond.Nutr Res.2024;126:99-122. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2024.03.010
Feng Y, Zhao Y, Liu J, Huang Z, Yang X, Qin P, Chen C, Luo X, Li Y, Wu Y, Li X, Huang H, Hu F, Hu D, Liu Y, Zhang M.Consumption of dairy products and the risk of overweight or obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A dose–response meta-analysis and systematic review of cohort studies.Adv Nutr.2022;13(6):2165-2179. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmac096
