Healthy fats are not the enemy

For years fat has had a bad reputation because it is energy dense. That has led many people to avoid it. But fat is essential — your body needs it to absorb fat-soluble vitamins and to produce hormones.

Prioritise these sources

• Avocado
• Olive oil
• Walnuts and almonds
• Cashews
• Flaxseeds
• Oily fish (salmon, mackerel, herring)

Omega-3 from oily fish improves blood pressure and reduces inflammation. Eating healthy fats in moderate amounts can lower the risk of heart disease, support hormone production, help regulate blood sugar and support brain and bone health.

Saturated, unsaturated and trans — what the labels really mean

Not all fats behave the same way in your body. Monounsaturated fats from olive oil, avocado and most nuts are linked to lower LDL cholesterol and better insulin sensitivity. Polyunsaturated fats split into omega-6 (sunflower, corn, soy) and omega-3 (oily fish, flax, chia, walnuts) — most modern diets get plenty of omega-6 and too little omega-3, which tilts the inflammation balance the wrong way. Saturated fats from butter, fatty cuts of red meat and full-fat dairy are fine in moderation but should not dominate. Industrial trans fats, found in some margarines and ultra-processed pastries, are the only fats with no safe daily intake — avoid them entirely.

A simple weekly target: extra-virgin olive oil as your default cooking and dressing fat, a handful of nuts most days, oily fish twice a week, and saturated sources kept as accents rather than bases. Photograph the meal in Nutraware and the breakdown of saturated versus unsaturated appears alongside the calorie count — useful when a 'healthy' bowl turns out to lean heavier on coconut oil than expected.

Want to put this into practice? Nutraware lets you photograph your meals for an instant nutritional analysis, track your habits and get personal coaching from an AI built on science. Be aware, feel great — and let the app do the counting for you.