Fats and carbohydrates are two important aspects of a healthy diet, and also both are often misunderstood. These two elements are important and necessary for your body. Knowing which types of fats and carbs you can eat will help you make better choices with your diet. This includes learning how to switch saturated fats with unsaturated fats and using lighter, healthier oils for cooking.
Fats are important in your diet as they supply energy to your body. Fats also supply fatty acids and help carry fat soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E, and K. Fats are an essential player when it comes to building your tissues and membranes along with helping to regulate bodily functions.
Fat comes from two main sources plant and animal. Unfortunately most of our diets do not contain the correct amount of fat. It is recommended by most nutritionists that you should eat around 20% of your calories as fat. Extremely low fat restrictions can be dangerous to your health.
Knowing which type and what amount of fat to include in your diet is important. If your diet consists of high amounts of saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol you are putting yourself at risk of developing heart disease, obesity or for having a stroke among many other illnesses.
Tran’s fats are those that are solid at room temperature. Trans Fats and saturated fats are the ones most often associated with suffering from health complications.
Saturated fats are found in animal fats so keeping these levels low can be a good idea. Limiting this level is a good idea and the reason why you want to include low fat protein in your diet.
You can still consume sausages and bacon just make lower fat choices instead. Opt for turkey sausages instead, they taste great and have much less fat in them.
With food labels now appearing on products you can see what type of fats and carbs are included in each item. If you are concerned about your health or trying to lose weight reading food labels should become a habit.
Carbohydrates are an extremely important part of any healthy diet. Carbs provide us with energy and include essential nutrients. The problem is that not all carbs are created equally and this can become confusing for some!
You will find carbohydrates in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, milk and dairy products. When shopping for products choose those which are labeled low carb. All of this information is listed on the nutrition label.
When shopping also be aware of how much sugar each product contains. Some so called low carb foods have tons of sugar in them, these are the ones you want to avoid!
Remember processed foods will have high amounts of sugars, salt and chemicals. If you can’t read it don’t put it into your mouth!
You want to choose low carb foods as much as possible. These include vegetables which are also high in fiber. Some good vegetable choices are:
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Onions
- Mushrooms
- Red and green peppers
- Spaghetti squash
- Zucchini
You do not want to eliminate carbohydrates from your diet completely. Plus there is no harm in having starchier vegetables once in a while too. Children need carbs more than adults so never restrict these. If you are watching your carb intake then add additional carbs such as potatoes and fruits to each meal for your children.
Good nutrition does start at home and once you have discovered which fats and carbs are healthy to eat, you can pass this knowledge onto your family. You can feel safe and secure that your kids will grow up with a healthy understanding of what they can and cannot eat.