But it’s Good Fat!?!?!?

I can’t believe how many people have said to me, “But I can eat almonds (or avocados, etc.) because it’s good fat!” Sure, but do you know how many almonds you should eat? Six. Six almonds equal 5 grams of fat or approximately 45 calories. And that’s almost the recommended amount of fat for a MEAL.

Think about it, just because it’s a good fat doesn’t mean it’s not going to add calories to your diet. It just means it won’t clog your arteries or contribute to heart disease!

According to the American Heart Association and the Surgeon General’s Office, fat should contribute to no more than 30% of your total daily allowance of calories. If you are trying to lose weight, 15% is suggested – and if you already have heart disease, a diet of 10-20% is advised. (But don’t cut fat out completely, you need fat to burn fat – and it is a major contributor to healthy muscles, nerves and blood vessels, and aids in our body’s absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.)

One gram of fat equals nine calories. If you are on an allowance of 1,700 calories per day, your allowance of fat calories would then be 255 to 510 per day. Divide that by three meals and you have 85-170 per meal - not counting snacks. Note: If you take Omega 3 or Omega 6 supplements in the form of fish or flax seed oils, read your labels so you know how many calories you are ingesting.

Examples of “good” fats in portions of 5 grams are:

1/8 Medium Avocado (1 oz.)
1 tsp Oil (canola, olive, peanut)
8 large black olives
10 green olives (with pimento)6 nuts, almonds or cashews
10 peanuts
2 tsp peanut butter
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp Tahini paste

So the next time you sit down with a whole avocado, or eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, keep in mind how many fat grams you are putting into your system.