Good Fat or Bad? How To Make Healthy Choices

With all the talk about 'good fats' and 'bad fats' it can be confusing to know what you should or shouldn’t eat. Like many things in life, it’s a matter of balance and making healthy choices when preparing meals, dining out or ordering in.  

Fats – which include saturated, unsaturated and trans fats – are compounds that play an essential role in many aspects of human health. All fats are high in calories but eating too much saturated fat also increases our risk of heart disease. Saturated fat is found in fatty cuts of meat and sausages, and bacon and cured meats, such as salami and chorizo. Pies and pastries, cakes and biscuits, ice cream, butter and cream are also high in saturated fat. 

Make the switch 

The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend all Australians include some foods that contain unsaturated fats. But to maintain our health, the recommendation is to limit foods high in saturated fats and replace them with foods that contain unsaturated fats.   

Switching to healthier options doesn’t mean your diet will be less tasty. For example, instead of deep fried battered fish, choose steamed or grilled fish; instead of deep fried chips, choose boiled chat potatoes drizzled with a little olive oil. Rather than cake and cream for dessert, have a deliciously sweet fresh fruit salad topped with yoghurt. You can even sneak in a little high-quality dark chocolate (minimum 70%) as a special treat.  

Be a savvy consumer 

Compare food labels. The easiest way to do this is to look at the nutritional content per 100 grams and choose the product that’s lower in saturated fat. A high saturated fat content would be more than 5 gram saturates per 100 grams.  

Choose leaner cuts of meat. Turkey breast and reduced-fat mince are good choices. For other cuts of meat, remove all the fat before cooking and always remove the skin from chicken. To make meat casseroles go further, and reduce your intake of saturated fats, add plenty of vegetables like carrots, pumpkins, turnips or other root vegetables. 

Order healthy options. Whether you’re dining out or ordering in, most menus offer healthy dishes. Avoid creamy options and curries that contain coconut milk. Instead choose a tomato-based sauce such as a tandoori or a Bolognese sauce. 

At the Good Meal Co., we know how hard it can be to have to reduce or give up the foods you love. That’s why we offer a variety of healthy options delivered right to your door. Try our wholesome cottage pie made with slow-cooked lentils and seasonal vegetables in a  

delectable sauce and topped with fluffy, lightly-herbed potato mash. With winter on the way, why not curl up with a hot bowl of our much-loved traditional nutritious leek and potato soup? 

To order your next delicious meal delivered direct to your door, call us on 1800 155 255 or order online https://goodmeal.com.au/