A shopping guide to healthy fats |
Lara Mathers CF Dietitian, |
Tamarah Katz CF Dietitian, |
It is important for the whole family to include healthy fats as part of their regular diet, whether you have CF or not. If you need to boost your weight gain you may need even more of these. Please check with your doctor or CF centre dietitian to help personalise your diet with you.
This is a list of the healthiest fats to include in your diet for optimal health and wellbeing. We have also given you some ideas on how to use them.
| Type of Fat | Food | Ideas |
|
Monounsaturated These can be eaten daily |
Avocado | Dips, smoothies, salads, on sandwiches, eaten with salt & pepper |
| Almonds (raw, dry roasted or roasted – choose those roasted in healthy fats) | LSA‡/ground almonds/almond butter: sprinkled on porridge or added to cereal, yoghurt, added to smoothies, salads, used in baking to replace flour, spread on toast or crackers, include in trail mix | |
| Cashews (raw, dry roasted or roasted – choose those roasted in healthy fats) | Cashew butter, added to smoothies, mixed into porridge or cereal, spread on toast or crackers, include in trail mix | |
| Peanuts (raw, dry roasted or roasted – choose those roasted in healthy fats) | Peanut butter, added to smoothies, mixed into porridge, spread on toast or crackers, include in trail mix | |
| Olives | Olive tapenade as a spread, dip, added whole or cut-up in quiches, salads, frittatas, pasta dishes, pizza topping, as a snack | |
| Olive, canola, peanut, sunflower, soybean, sesame, safflower oils | Cooking, salad dressings, mixed into rice or pasta | |
|
Polyunsaturated These can be eaten daily |
Tahini and hummus | Dip, spread, salad dressings, as a topping on roasted vegetables |
| Pine nuts | Added to salads | |
| Brazil nuts | Added to trail mix | |
|
Polyunsaturated (high in animal sources of omega-3) These should be included 2-3 times a week |
Best – salmon, blue-eye trevalla, blue mackerel, herring, canned sardines, canned salmon Good – barramundi, bream, flathead, squid, scallops, mussels |
Tinned fish: sandwich filling, on crackers, in salads, made into a dip, made into salmon/tuna patties, added to pasta Cook fish and seafood using healthy oils. Avoid fast food varieties |
|
Polyunsaturated These should be |
Linseed | LSA‡ or linseeds sprinkled on porridge, cereal, yoghurt, smoothies, salads |
| Flaxseed | Sprinkled on porridge, cereal, yoghurt, smoothies, salads | |
| Chia seeds | Chia pudding made with milk, chia seeds added to porridge, cereal, yoghurt, smoothies | |
| Walnuts | Ground/cut in half or whole, sprinkle on breakfast cereal/porridge, smoothies | |
| Soybean oil, canola oil | Use for cooking stir fries, substitute for butter in baking | |
|
Saturated fat*† These should be |
Yoghurt (Greek yoghurt) | Snacks, smoothies or added to muesli |
| Cheese (feta, cheddar, mozzarella, goats cheese) | Sandwich filling, grilled cheese toasty, cheese & crackers, in salads | |
| Ricotta | Basis for dips, on toast/crumpets/muffins, in baking | |
| Milk (full cream milk & full cream milk powder)* | Added to breakfast cereal/porridge, smoothies, or as a drink |
‡LSA is a mix of ground linseeds, sunflower kernels and almonds readily available in most supermarkets.
*If you are trying to reduce or maintain your weight it may be appropriate for you to use lower fat dairy products. Please discuss this with your dietitian.
†Dairy foods contain saturated fat but are protective for heart health. Refer to CF Source article Healthy fats vs. unhealthy fats: What do people with cystic fibrosis (CF) need to know?
