Healthy Fats and Oils
When trying to stay healthy, it can be challenging to know which fats and oils are the right ones for our bodies. Some can improve our heart health, while others are less beneficial. Sometimes we get stuck not knowing which to choose and how much to enjoy. This month as we learn about healthy fats and ways to include them in a heart-healthy diet.
Important Education Takeaways
Not all fats are created equal. Some fats work to improve our heart health, while others may increase our risk.
Limit saturated and trans fats which are typically found in animal products, tropical oils, and processed foods.
Choose unsaturated fats, such as those found in olive oil, nuts, avocados, and fish.
Learn about the best, healthy oils for cooking, and how much olive oil we should be using in our Ask the RD blog.
Our Lemon Mint Tabouli with Pan Seared Salmon is a great way to include healthy fats in your evening meals.
Limit refined grains and simple sugars in your diet. Choose more fresh, whole foods that provide beneficial nutrients and fibers and little to no added sugar.
Fiber is a great way to lower cholesterol levels in the body.
Plant foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds are all great sources of fiber.
Try our Nordic Flourless Nut Bread for a delicious fiber-rich addition to any meal.
Lower your risk for cardiovascular disease by establishing healthy and lasting lifestyle habits. Aim to eat a healthy diet, get regular exercise, and a maintain an appropriate body weight.
Learn more about the importance of staying active with this video.
Don’t forget, Basecamp offers many great movement classes at no cost.
Recipes
Recipe of the month: Rainbow Ready Lunch
As always, this recipe is the showcase of our live taught, virtual cooking class. Our chef and registered dietitian bring the recipe to life as they walk you through food prep, swaps to meet dietary or taste preferences, plus tips and tools to support you being your own healthy chef at home.
Bonus recipe: Grilled Tomatillo Salsa Verde with Steak
From Jamie’s kitchen to yours, our monthly bonus recipes are published on our website and social media the 4th Wednesday of each month. We invite you to browse our recipe collection and come back often to find more flavorful and heart-healthy recipes.
We invite you to join us for the live taught, virtual nutrition classes each month to gather more information on our nutrition topics. This is also an opportunity to ask topic-related questions of our experts as well as connect socially with attendees for idea sharing. As a registered participant for our In the Kitchen program, you receive a few reminders ahead of each scheduled monthly classes, but here’s an easy to remember schedule: Nutrition Education (30-minutes, 2nd Wednesday, 12pm), Cooking Class (up to 60-minutes, 3rd Monday, 12pm).
Contributing authors: Kayla Guillory, MS, RD, CDCES, diabetes educator, Providence Community Teaching Kitchen; Jamie Libera, RD, LD, CCTD, registered dietitian, Providence.