Make Healthy Meals

One of the classic aspects of dieting is cutting fat from your diet. You hear all the time about how unhealthy fat is for you. But how much fat should you keep in your diet?

Some fat is actually important to a healthy diet. Some nutrients need fats in order for your body to absorb them correctly.

This is the case with many vegetables. The beta carotene in carrots and other foods need fats for your body to absorb it.

Similarly, vitamin E, found in broccoli, kiwis, spinach and peanuts is better absorbed with some fats, although not with trans fats. Vitamin E has shown some promise as helping prevent blood clots, although this is uncertain right now. Vitamin E also helps protect your body from free radicals.

Lutein is also important. You find it in dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach as well as in egg yolks. It’s good for your skin and your eyes.

Lycopene is another good one. It’s found in tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruit. It’s the cause of the red pigment in these, in fact. It has the potential to reduce your cancer risk. This carotenoid works as an antioxidant, countering the damaging effects of free radicals.

Some fat in your diet helps you to absorb all these very important nutrients. Of course, when you’re eating eggs you’re getting some fat anyhow.

Just because you need some fat in your diet doesn’t mean you need a lot of fat in your diet. Keep it moderate. Go ahead and use regular salad dressing instead of low fat. Enjoy eggs once a week or so. Indulge yourself on occasion… just not too often. Fat alone in a diet is not what makes you fat. An excess of calories makes you fat too.

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