The ketogenic diet is a strict diet that allows food with high fat and low carbohydrate content. But, all high-fat food diets do not contain healthy fat; hence, they could harm consumer health.
Generally, unsaturated fats like mono and polyunsaturated fats obtained from plant-based foods are considered safe and healthy.
But animal fats like saturated fats are also an excellent choice when consumed equally along with other fats.
This article will list several food options with healthy fats that you may include during your ketogenic diet.
Healthy Fats For Keto
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Nuts
Nuts are one of the best sources to empower your body with healthy fats. You may consider consuming different types of nuts to fulfill your fat intake.
The commonly preferred[1] nuts with low calories and high fat include walnuts, almonds, pistachio, cashews, etc.
People consuming these nuts in a controlled manner may lower the risk of developing heart disease, cancer, respiratory illnesses, and diabetes.
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Salmon
You may consider including a few fatty fish like salmon in your keto diet as a healthy fat source. Seafood like salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids that offer numerous health benefits to consumers.
Salmon contains[2] two types of omega-3 fatty acids, including EHA and DHA. Both these types have anti-inflammatory properties; thus, they help prevent chronic inflammation and fasten weight loss.
DHA omega-3 fatty acids help cover a significant portion of the human brain. Hence, healthy fat is essential for brain development and mental health.
Besides salmon, several other seafood, including mackerel, sardines, herring, etc., offer DHA omega-3 fatty acids.
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Ghee
Ghee is another wealthiest source of healthy fats. The dairy product contains several fat-soluble nutrients, including iodine, selenium, Vitamin D, K2, and E, and conjugated linoleic acid.
It consists of a higher concentration[3] of conjugated linoleic acid or CLA, an essential fatty acid for good health. CLA could boost insulin sensitivity by lowering adiponectin concentrations.
Thus, better insulin sensitivity improves blood sugar regulation and reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.
CLA could also benefit by modifying testosterone to boost muscle mass and lower body fat in obese people.
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Cheese
Cheese is an excellent high-fat keto-friendly food, irrespective of the type. You would find 25-30 grams of total fat in 100 grams of cheese.
Moreover, the majority of fat found in cheese is saturated[4]. Besides healthy fat, cheese also contains high protein, calcium, and low carbs; hence, it comfortably fits into a ketogenic diet as a healthy fat food.
A high concentration of saturated fat would prevent several cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, calcium and Vitamin K2 content would help boost bone health.
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Unrefined Coconut Oil
Unrefined coconut oil easily fits into a keto grocery list due to the type of fat content.
Coconut oil naturally contains MCTs or medium-chain triglycerides that the human body quickly absorbs and utilizes.
These MCTs, after consumption, directly travel to the liver, where they are further metabolized[5] into ketones. Hence, you could soon enter into a ketosis state and use fat as a fuel source with a higher coconut oil intake.
Unrefined coconut oil is an excellent food that promotes weight loss. Moreover, switching to crude coconut oil would boost your medium-chain triglyceride intake, which is entirely burned for energy and barely stored as fat.
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Chia Seeds
Chia seed consumption could be an excellent deal with a unique property that makes it suitable for losing weight.
The gel-like chia seeds attach to the ribs and slowly digest, making you feel satiated for longer. Moreover, chia seed consumption could be beneficial[6] in lowering total blood cholesterol and improving blood sugar control.
Generally, chia seeds contain plant-based omega-3 fatty acids or alpha-linoleic acids that offer an added advantage to an individual’s heart health.
Besides healthy fat, the tiny seeds contain sufficient protein that may help boost muscle mass and metabolism.
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Full Fat Yogurt
Full-fat yogurt is a highly beneficial fermented keto-friendly food. It contains healthy saturated fats, proteins, and several fat-soluble vitamins.
Moreover, yogurt boosts the gut with probiotics to keep the stomach healthy and functioning. People consuming[7] full-fat yogurt regularly may strengthen their immune systems and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Additionally, yogurt is an excellent source of calcium; thus, it could benefit bone health and prevent osteoporosis, arthritis, etc.
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Avocado
Avocado is a versatile fruit that quickly fits into a variety of dishes. It is a high-fat-containing fruit that may have up to 75% healthy fat. Hence, it could be considered a healthy fat-containing keto food.
Besides fat, avocados contain several essential[8] vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, E, potassium, and folate. Moreover, they have high fiber content, which makes them a suitable option for losing weight.
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Whole Eggs
Eggs are widely known for their protein values, but they also contain the optimum amounts of healthy fats.
Moreover, they are highly nutritious and fit, making them an excellent option during a ketogenic diet.
Besides, you would get other nutrients, including B Vitamins, Vitamin D, iron, choline, and antioxidants[9] like lutein and zeaxanthin.
Whole eggs could benefit an individual’s weight loss goals. People eating a few hard-boiled or scrambled eggs in their breakfast may significantly lower their daily calorie intake.
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Olive Oil
Olive oil is also a versatile cooking oil that helps boost the fat content of a dish. It could be a healthy alternative to a different refined cooking oil with high unhealthy fat content.
Oleic acid consumption through olive oil may help reduce inflammation and prevent certain types of cancer.
Besides oleic acid, olive oil contains a few potential antioxidants, like Vitamin E, that may help reduce the risk of developing heart diseases and cancer.
Moreover, olive oil consumption may prevent you from several degenerative disorders like osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, etc.
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Butter
Butter is widely known for its fat content. It is believed that butter contains approximately 400 different fatty acids, including butyric acid and conjugated linoleic acid. It also has several fat-soluble nutrients like selenium, iodine, Vitamin D, E, K2, A, etc.
Fats obtained from butter are considered beneficial for gut health. Butter contains lauric acid, which has antibacterial and antifungal properties[10] that prevent gut disorders and maintain a healthy intestinal environment.
Butyric acid is another essential short-chain fatty acid that supplies fuel to the GI tract cells to improve their function. Moreover, it may prevent the body from several gut disorders like IBS.
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Hemp Hearts
Hemp hearts are another beneficial food option with high healthy fat content. The hemp heart or seed contains approximately 50% healthy fats of its total volume, which makes it an excellent choice in a ketogenic diet.
These seeds contain several other nutrients, including Vitamin E, potassium, iron, and calcium. Moreover, it is an elite protein[11] source with all nine essential amino acids.
Hemp heart has a mild flavor; hence, it instantly blends with dishes without causing any significant changes in the taste. You may sprinkle them on salads or yogurt, or make a soup or smoothie.
Conclusion
The ketogenic diet involves the intake of fat to use as fuel for different metabolic activities. But it would be best to focus on consuming healthy fat-rich food to boost your health.
Generally, healthy fats are obtained from natural and unprocessed food items like avocados, fatty fish, dairy products, eggs, etc.
Hence, consuming these naturally obtained healthy fats would be best to keep yourself healthy during a ketogenic diet.
Moreover, you should avoid ultra-processed oils, fried foods, etc., to reduce unhealthy fat intake.
References/Sources
Working4Health prefers using primary and verified references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and our primary references include peer-reviewed research, academic, and medical institution studies.
- Richard D Mattes 1, Penny M Kris-Etherton, Gary D Foster, et. al. Impact of peanuts and tree nuts on body weight and healthy weight loss in adults. J Nutr
. 2008 Sep;138(9):1741S-1745S. doi: 10.1093/jn/138.9.1741S. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18716179/ - A Ramel, J A Martinez, M Kiely, et. al. Effects of weight loss and seafood consumption on inflammation parameters in young, overweight and obese European men and women during 8 weeks of energy restriction. ur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Sep;64(9):987-93. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.99. Epub 2010 Jun 16. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20551965/
- Hari Sharma, Xiaoying Zhang, and Chandradhar Dwivedi. The effect of ghee (clarified butter) on serum lipid levels and microsomal lipid peroxidation. Ayu. 2010 Apr-Jun; 31(2): 134–140. doi: 10.4103/0974-8520.72361.
- Louise H. Dekker, Petra C. Vinke, Ineke J. Riphagen, et. al. Cheese and Healthy Diet: Associations With Incident Cardio-Metabolic Diseases and All-Cause Mortality in the General Population. Front Nutr. 2019; 6: 185. Published online 2019 Dec 17. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2019.00185
- Christine Érika Vogel, Louise Crovesy, Eliane Lopes Rosado, et. al. Effect of coconut oil on weight loss and metabolic parameters in men with obesity: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Food Funct. 2020 Jul 1;11(7):6588-6594. doi: 10.1039/d0fo00872a. Epub 2020 Jul 10. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32648861/
- Rahman Ullah, M. Nadeem, A. Khalique, et. al. Nutritional and therapeutic perspectives of Chia (Salvia hispanica L.): a review. J Food Sci Technol. 2016 Apr; 53(4): 1750–1758. Published online 2015 Oct 1. doi: 10.1007/s13197-015-1967-0
- J Eales, I Lenoir-Wijnkoop, S King, et. al. Is consuming yoghurt associated with weight management outcomes? Results from a systematic review. Int J Obes (Lond). 2016 May; 40(5): 731–746. Published online 2015 Nov 3. Prepublished online 2015 Oct 7. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2015.202
- Celine Heskey, Keiji Oda, and Joan Sabaté. Avocado Intake, and Longitudinal Weight and Body Mass Index Changes in an Adult Cohort. Nutrients. 2019 Mar; 11(3): 691. Published online 2019 Mar 23. doi: 10.3390/nu11030691
- J S Vander Wal, A Gupta, P Khosla, et. al. Egg breakfast enhances weight loss. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008 Oct;32(10):1545-51. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2008.130. Epub 2008 Aug 5. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18679412/
- W Wirths, C Rehage, and N Bönnhoff. [Effect of a diet formula with high butter or margarine content on body weight reduction]. Z Ernahrungswiss
. 1983 Sep;22(3):157-68. doi: 10.1007/BF02024691. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6649711/ - Michał Majewski and Adam Jurgoński. The Effect of Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Seeds and Hemp Seed Oil on Vascular Dysfunction in Obese Male Zucker Rats. Nutrients. 2021 Aug; 13(8): 2575. Published online 2021 Jul 27. doi: 10.3390/nu13082575
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Alisha Matthew has been a practicing nutritionist since 2016. She holds a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of IOWA. She is a staunch believer in improving the human health index by educating people about nutrition and the importance of nutrition in leading a healthy and happy life. Her long-term goal is to keep educating people on general health and keep herself updated with the latest trends in the field of health.