Last week I took you on a grocery store visit with me (I hope you enjoyed it!) and now I’m taking you on a tour of all my favourite healthy fats.
I’ve included both animal and plant-based fat sources in this post and these 2 videos (yes, there are two because the videos were too long initially and so we decided to divide them into two) because I personally eat both and I recommend them for your most joyous health!
You see, every single cell in your entire body is made up of a lipid layer and you need both types of fats to support them, from both animal and plant sources.
I still remember my days in marketing before I became a nutritionist thinking that all fats were bad, which led me to avoiding them, including delicious grass-fed butter!
However, I’m more of a ghee fan, as you’ll soon learn in my video because it’s super great for high-heat cooking and it has such a wonderful rich taste. You can learn how to make ghee right here. Plus ghee is rich in butyrate which is essential for a healthy gut microbiome!
As I mentioned in the video below, I was fat-phobic for many years. Funny enough, it was also when many of my health issues such as my dry skin, eczema and hormonal imbalances were present.
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What about you? Have you been or are you fat-phobic? I don’t think I’m alone in this because when I go to the grocery store, I still see many low-fat products. I have a feeling though that if you’ve been a reader of my blog for a while, you likely know all the health benefits of good fats too.
But in case you need a little refresher, you’ll enjoy my latest videos where I talk about the health benefits of fats, as well as delicious plant-based fats and serving sizes (like whether you should be eating half an avocado or a whole avocado). You’ll learn what I recommend to make the best choice!
Sources of Healthy Fats (Plant-Based & Animal):
Olives and Olive oil
There are so many different kinds of olives from salty to sweet, you’ve just got to find the one you like best. I love Acropolis Organics for olives and olive oil and I also love the sicilian olives from The Cheese Boutique. Try my One-Pot Paprika Chicken with olives or my Juicy & Crunchy Kale Salad ; the dressing is simple, healthy and delicious!
Avocados and Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is a great cooking oil with a fairly neutral taste. I love this brand of avocado oil and I also use it in salads too. Try my Everything Guac or Creamy Avo Pasta Salad!
Nuts and Seeds
The benefits and uses are endless when using nuts and seeds; from nut butter to nut milk or just eating them whole as they are, there are so many great ways to enjoy them! I love slathering nut butter on to buckwheat banana bread to make it more blood sugar balancing or lightly toasting seeds to put on a salad .
Nuts and seeds are also a source of plant-based protein and a great way to start your day by firing up your metabolism. I love using hemp in recipes like this flatbread or seeds in granola or trail mix .
And now for the next video …
Fish
First off, I love sardines but I didn’t always love them. I started eating these when I became a nutritionist because they are an amazing source of omega-3 essential fatty acids which makes them very anti-inflammatory , they are an excellent protein source and even vitamin D !
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When buying canned sardines I always look for the Ocean Wise logo because they are sustainably caught or farmed and not damaging the environment. We buy a variety of fish, from arctic char to salmon, sustainably-caught shrimp and some canned fish, like sardines and salmon. You can read more about choosing the best fish in this post.
Coconut Oil, Coconut Butter and Coconut Yogurt
I love coconut oil and coconut butter for everything from cooking pancakes to making a hot drink like Maca Hot Chocolate nice and creamy.
This is the brand of coconut oil I buy the most often because it has a lovely coconut flavour. As for coconut butter, it’s super easy to make yourself but I also admittedly buy it too (it’s a bit of a splurge). I like the Artisana brand and Nutiva as well. Just an FYI coconut “manna” is the same thing as coconut “butter” which you’ll see on the store shelf too. You can read more about the difference between coconut oil and butter here .
Since we are on the topic of coconut, have you tried these Collagen Chocolate Chip Snowballs? They taste like coconut macaroons and they are made with coconut oil and shredded coconut. SO yummy!
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As for coconut yogurt, it’s my favourite yogurt for smoothies , granola and to schlop on top of birthday cake! I love the brand Enjoyoso but it’s also very easy to make coconut yogurt yourself!
Hemp Hearts aka “seeds”
I love hemp seeds! I go through a big bag of it about once per month because it’s such a fast and easy source of protein and healthy fat.
I use it to make everything from dip to pesto to delicious crackers and sprinkle it in every salad I make because not only is it a great source of protein and healthy fat called gamma linolenic acid, which is heart-health friendly, it’s also great for skin and hair health. In fact, there is about 10g of protein in a 30g single serving. My favourite brand of hemp is Manitoba Harvest.
Ghee
If my recipes are of any evidence, you know I love ghee! I make it with grass-fed butter because it’s way cheaper to make it yourself than buy it. Once in a while, I buy it too. I use ghee to make these Sticky Carrots which are a joyous reader fave!
Feta cheese
I love adding goat or sheep cheese to big salads. I buy feta cheese from my local farmers market! You always have to read your labels though because not all feta is created equal. I tend to avoid cow-derived feta because it’s not good for my eczema but the source of milk will always be listed on the label. Most health food stores will have goat or sheep milk-derived feta.
Eggs
Eggs – the original superfood! Eggs are one of the best brain foods around because they are an excellent source of good fat, protein, B12, iron, lecithin and choline. I love making frittatas and I almost always use eggs in baking because not only does does it add a good amount of protein, but it makes baked goods stick together well like this Pumpkin Spice Cake – one of my most popular recipes from Fall 2018!
When buying eggs, look for certified organic so that you know your purchase is supporting a farmer that follows strict organic standards for animal welfare.
Now that you know some of my favourite plant and animal-based fats, remember the key to a healthy diet is a wide variety of fats, so even though you know I love ghee and coconut butter, remember to mix it up!
If you have any questions or comments, please post them below!
What are your favourite fats to stock in your kitchen?
Wishing you joyous health!
Joy xo
37 thoughts on “Healthy Fats I Stock in My Kitchen”
Thanks for sharing this with us, Joy! Always enjoy learning from you. Looking forward to more videos 🙂
Awesome! Always love your posts. And love your pastel green kettle by the way! 😉 So important to educate on the fat love!
Thanks Noella!
You’re welcome! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Your video was super! Informative, easy to watch, speed was great so I could write things down. Even though we eat a lot of your “sharing” I particularly liked what each food is “good for”.
Yes I was definitely fat phobic too and it is really difficult to change that mindset. I eat avocados, nuts, evoo and almond milk for my healthy fats among others. I don’t like all the processing in reduced or fat free foods.
Glad to hear you’re no longer fat phobic!
Thanks Aunt Linda, glad you loved my video 🙂
Use my avocado oil everyday. I eat avocado with toast in the morning. I love love avocado. Thanks for sharing Joy!
Mmmm, yummy! Avo for life 😉
Hi Joy – do you always soak your nuts and seeds/quinoa etc before eating them??
Hi Joy! Do you always soak your nuts and seeds/quinoa etc before eating them?
I do not. When I graduated from school as a holistic nutritionist I did that religiously. Then becoming a busy mama and entrepreneur, those kinds of habits became less important and just making sure I ate well on a daily basis was number one. That being said, for someone who has digestive problems, I would recommend having them soaked, but my gut can handle unsoaked with no negative consequences.
Hi can I ask please which oil you would recommend for roasting sweet potato and potatoes with in the oven so that they don’t dry out? Many thanks!
Avocado oil or high quality extra-virgin olive oil.
Ah great many thanks for replying
Thank you for making healthy habits reachable and yummy!
What would be a healthy eating amount of nuts per day. A handful?
Yes, a handful would be a healthy serving. So that could be a handful in the form of almond butter on your toast in the morning and a handful of walnuts with an apple as an afternoon snack.
What brand of sardines do you recommend that I can get in the US?
I would suggest going to your local health food store and seeing what they have. But I often buy Wild Planet which you can find in the U.S. too.
Hi can I also ask please when buying tins of sardines or mackerel is it healthier to buy them packed in spring water, brine or sunflower oil? Not sure which to get, many thanks!
Can I please ask too is creamed coconut (jar of) the same as coconut butter? Many thanks
I’ve never seen a label that says “creamed coconut” but just by the description, my guess would be that it is coconut butter. Check the ingredients, if it says 100% coconut then it’s probably the butter.
Any of the above. I typically by water or oil but not if it’s sunflower oil. I have bought packed in olive oil before.
Ah brilliant thankyou so much for replying. I live in the UK and that’s the 3 options they sell it in, even in health shop. I will purchase the ones in spring water then, thankyou so much for your help!
Ah great thankyou, yes it’s sold in UK, says 100% organic coconut only in ingredients, thanks so much for your help!
Perfect, enjoy!
Hi Joy!! I love your posts! Can someone with a sensitivity to cow’s milk still have ghee?
Typically yes. Ghee should have all the milk proteins removed making it safe for those with sensitivities. However, if you are dealing with a serious allergy then I would be very cautious with ghee because if you make it yourself then there’s the possibility of contamination. Hope that helps! If you get a chance, try my ghee recipe: https://www.joyoushealth.com/27266-blog-how-to-make-ghee
What about organic sustainable palm oil?
That’s definitely a great option, it’s just not a fat I personally use. How do you enjoy using it?
How often would you recommend people eat eggs? Should we limit eggs?
You do not need to limit eggs unless you have a food sensitivity. That being said, you can develop sensitivities to the foods you eat the most often. So while I love eggs, I don’t eat them every day, probably a few times per week though.
Hi Joy, I bought a olive oil by terra. It has a horse label standing on its two feet . It says organic extra virgin cold press olive oil. So I took a zip to taste it as is and burned back of my throat. What does that mean? Taste horrible too
Hi! Sorry to hear that. I’ve tried that olive oil brand and didn’t have that experience. I would recommend contacting the company as it sounds like it’s gone rancid.
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