Smart swaps: Heart-friendly fats

Fat has had a bad rap for years, but did you know not all fat is bad for you? Try these simple swaps and protect your heart.

Saturated fat is the ‘unhealthy’ type of fat found in red meat, butter, cream, coconut oil and shelf-stable baked goods. Eating too much saturated fat can increase your level of unhealthy LDL cholesterol which, in turn, increases your risk of heart disease.

Unsaturated fat, on the other hand, is good for your heart and brain health. It’s found in avocados, nuts and oily fish, as well as olive and canola oil. Eating sufficient amounts of healthy fats can improve your level of good-for-you HDL cholesterol.

Swap

Butter on morning toast (10.3g sat fat per tbs) for avocado (0.8g sat fat per ¼ avo)

Reduce

9.5g sat fat

Swap

Coconut oil for cooking (17.4g sat fat per tbs) for extra virgin olive oil (2.8g sat fat per tbs)

Reduce

14.6g sat fat

Swap

Salami in a sandwich (5.8g sat fat per two slices) for egg (1g sat fat per egg)

Reduce

4.8g sat fat

Swap

Potato chips for a 3pm pick-me-up (3.2g sat fat per 45g packet) for The Happy Snack Company Roasted Chickpeas Lightly Salted (0.4g sat fat per 25g packet)

Reduce

2.8g sat fat

Swap

Beef sausages (18.4g sat fat per 2 sausages) for salmon (3.8g sat fat per 100g fillet)

Reduce

14.6g sat fat

Swap

Coconut yoghurt in a brekkie bowl (12.9g sat fat per 100g) for fat free natural yoghurt (0.1g sat fat per 100g)

Reduce

12.8g sat fat