The narrative around fat has always been confusing. Is it a good or bad element to include in your diet? Will it make me gain weight? How does it affect my brain health? All these questions are valid and it can be hard to get a straight answer. The good thing is Nourish’d is here to tell you that it’s not about the amount of fat you consume, but the type of fat you include in your diet. Today we break down why we don’t promote low fat meals, and how eating quality fats can have immense benefits to your body and brain health. 

What’s the deal with low fat diets?

Back in the 1940’s scientific studies emerged that a correlation existed between high cholesterol levels and a high fat diet. This led to the ultimate demise of fat in the 1960s - 1980s as a ‘bad’ ingredient that should be avoided at all costs. However, in these same decades the world began to see the increase of obesity in populations all across the world, despite low fat being such a popular element in foods at the time. Doctors, governments, health media and the food industry in general all bought into this narrative and to this day some individuals still believe a low fat diet is the way to go. 

In the last 10 years fat as the villain has changed and now has a much more positive persona due to further scientific research on the effects of good fats on the body. Good fats are best described as unsaturated fats that occur naturally in food. Examples of good fats include olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds. They are deemed the healthiest type of fat as they can:

“improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, stabilize heart rhythms, and play a number of other beneficial roles”

This is why the low fat diet may not be beneficial as individuals can miss out on nutrients from unsaturated fats simply because they want to eat low fat meals. 

Good fat and bad fat - what’s the difference?

Good fats or quality fats are the unsaturated fats described above. They provide the best nutrients and building blocks for your body to work effectively. However, there are two other types of fats that aren't so great - trans fats and saturated fats. 

Trans fats come from adding hydrogen molecules to unsaturated fats. These are to be avoided as they increase “bad” cholesterol and lower “good” cholesterol. Trans fats can also increase heart disease which is a no in our books. Foods that contain trans fats include:

• Margarine
• Baked goods
• Fried foods

Saturated fats are also known to increase cholesterol and heart disease risk. Intaking saturated fat is okay in moderation but shouldn’t be relied upon for your main fat source. This type of fat is found in:

• Fatty meat such as beef, lamb and pork
• Cream, butter and cheese

Now, we aren't saying to avoid trans and saturated fats all together. Many foods you consume in restaurants and take-away places probably use these fats to make the food taste amazing. But lowering your intake of trans and saturated fats should be kept in mind when choosing your daily meals so that you can create optimal nutrition for yourself and others.  

Why should I increase my intake of quality fats?

To put things simply, your body needs a regular intake of good fats to survive. The brain and body both benefit from a high intake of good fat, and in some cases your body needs fat more than protein or carbohydrates in your daily macronutrients intake. Eating meals that include good fats can:

• Help to increase energy levels in the body
• Protect your organs and allow them to work efficiently
• Support cell growth
• Keeps cholesterol and blood pressure under control (Yes! You don’t have to cut out fat in order to lower your cholesterol)
• Allow your body to absorb vitamins and mineral effectively 

Arguably the most important reason to increase your intake of food fats is brain health! 70% of our brains are made up of fat.

Yep, 70%! This is why good fats are needed for proper brain function as they allow the essential building blocks of the brain to thrive when learning new information and storing memories. Eating unsaturated fats can lower inflammation in the brain also; however, when saturated or “bad fats” are eaten inflammation can increase in the brain. This is why it is important to distinguish between good and bad fats in order to eat fat in a beneficial way. 

So, why don’t we promote low fat meals?

We don’t believe the low fat narrative aids in anyone’s long term health journey, even if it is weight loss. There are so many amazing benefits when it comes to meals that include quality fats and we wouldn’t want to deprive our customer base of anything but the best. Nourish’d knows that what’s inside matters, which is why we include quality fat ingredients in our meals to help your body thrive. We use ghee (clarified butter), quality olive oil and coconut oil to cook our ready made meals, plus, grass-fed beef, free-range poultry, avocados, nuts and seeds. These help to create meals that will nourish you with fat. If you have any more questions regarding a high fat or quality fat diet please reach out to your medical professional or qualified dietitian. 

How can Nourish’d help?

Nourish’d has a great range of meals that contain high quality fats in large or small amounts. Many customers love our Keto meals which adopt the high quality fat, low carbohydrate formula; however, there are many non-keto meals that contain quality fats if you need a larger amount of carbohydrates in your diet. 

High fat meals that our customers love include; Country Style Crumbed Chicken, Korean Sesame Chicken, Nasi Goreng and Texas BBQ Ribs with Cauliflower or White Potato Mash. See our full menu of Nourish’d meals here. To see the fat content of each meal simply click on the image and see the description for the fat and ingredient contents.