The 5 Healthiest Fats You Can Eat

A key finding of modern nutrition science is that foods high in fat can support a healthy diet. What matters is the type of fat, amount, and your overall diet. 

Beneficial fat is unsaturated, meaning its chemical structure creates a bendy shape that’s easier for the body’s cells and blood to use, compared to other fats. A dietary pattern rich in foods with unsaturated fat can help prevent chronic diseases.

Here, experts suggest five foods that offer several types of unsaturated fat shown to boost health. These foods also have the advantage of being excellent multitaskers, packing other important nutrients.

A persisting fat panic

Fats, like carbs, have historically been demonized, but some types can be good for you. Unsaturated fat, found in foods like nuts and oils, is healthier than the saturated kind with straighter and more rigid chemical chains. Due to the structure of saturated fat, too much can lead to higher “bad” cholesterol, or LDL. 

“We know saturated fat can increase LDL cholesterol, which is a strong risk factor for heart disease,” says Kristina Petersen, associate professor of nutritional science Penn State University.

Decades ago, findings about saturated fat got mixed up with views of all fats, especially through the 1980 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and related messaging from the food industry. Consumers heard “fat = bad” enough that these ideas persist today, though scientists understand that unsaturated fats actually support health.

Even with healthier fats, though, more isn’t necessarily better. These foods do tend to be high in calories. “Fat is a very energy-dense macronutrient,” says Maya Vadiveloo, associate professor of nutrition and food sciences at the University of Rhode Island. “It’s important to balance foods high in fat with good sources of fiber and protein.”

Fatty fish

Several types of fish have significant oil and fat in their flesh. Common examples are salmon, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies. “They’re some of the best sources of healthy fats, and they also provide protein and vitamins,” says Matti Marklund, a public-health researcher at Johns Hopkins University.

Fatty fish contain a particular type of unsaturated fat called omega-3 fatty acids. The body uses omega-3s as building blocks and chemical messengers that help reduce inflammation, among other benefits. 

Marklund found that people with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids—obtainable from fatty fish—in their blood had the lowest risk of dying prematurely from all causes. “Omega-3 has good effects on triglycerides and other cardiovascular risk factors like blood pressure,” Marklund says. 

In addition to potentially reducing heart disease risk, some research points to cognitive benefits from omega-3s. “It’s important to acknowledge the links between the cardiovascular system and brain health,” Marklund says. But most people don’t eat enough fatty fish.

For some fiber along with fatty fish, pair it with salad, other veggies, or whole-grain buns, Petersen suggests.

A convenient way to consume fatty fish is buying it canned. Just be mindful of sodium. Rinsing it under running tap water washes off some of the salt. 

Nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds are especially high in a type of unsaturated fat called omega-6 polyunsaturated fat. The main omega-6 fat found in nuts is linoleic acid, which is key for heart health and lowering LDL cholesterol, studies show. Nuts also pack micronutrients, minerals, and vitamins.

Although they have some saturated fat, their unsaturated fat is far higher. Similar to his research on omega-3s, Marklund found strong associations between blood levels of linoleic acid and long-term health. 

In addition to being heart-protective, “linoleic acid is linked to lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, so it can also improve glucose metabolism,” Marklund says. “Linoleic acid is closely related to cholesterol levels, whereas omega-3s might have other mechanisms to influence heart health.”

Nuts can help partly by replacing snacks higher in saturated fat. Petersen found people who switched to snacking on pecans for 12 weeks had better heart health including lower LDL cholesterol. “If you replace typical snacks like chips with nuts, that’s the healthier option because you replace saturated fats with unsaturated ones,” she says. Petersen notes consumption of nuts tends to be “very low” in the U.S.

In addition to eating nuts as a whole food, you could get linoleic acid through nut butters. Just be mindful of sugar and sodium. “If there’s a sweetener in the nut butter, shoot for under two grams” of added sugar, Vadiveloo says.

Having mixed nuts is ideal since each kind gives you different nutrition. Walnuts are unique in offering a plant-based version of omega-3s, called alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA. (Limited amounts of ALA get converted into the beneficial “long-chain” omega-3s, whereas fish provide them directly.) “For people who don’t eat fish, walnuts can provide omega-3,” Petersen says.

A variety of oils 

Seed oils are another source of linoleic acid and ALA. As with nuts, these oils contain considerably more unsaturated fat than saturated. Soybean and canola oil provide ample heart-healthy polyunsaturated fats. 

Olive oil is also a great source of another type of unsaturated fat: monounsaturated. “There is benefit to having a variety of oils,” Vadiveloo says. 

“A number of studies have found health benefits of olive oil,” Marklund says. Extra virgin—first cold pressed olive oil, in particular—is rich in antioxidants and phenolic compounds. Vadiveloo notes olive oil tends to be more expensive than other cooking oils, and other oils preferred by some cultures can be part of a healthy diet.

The amount matters, too. Drizzing oil on a salad is perfect; drinking several shots per day is excessive.

Tempeh 

An oft-overlooked source of healthy fats is food made from soy. One of the best choices is tempeh.

Soy-based foods, including soybeans, edamame, tofu, and natto, are good options because, in addition to their unsaturated fats, they offer protein and fiber. They also have soy isoflavones—plant-based compounds that can interact with receptors in the body for the female hormone estrogen, Vadiveloo says. Studies link diets high in soy foods—especially when they replace less healthy foods—to lower risk of breast cancer.

If you like the taste, tempeh may have the best overall nutrition. Compared to tofu, tempeh has more unsaturated fat, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Because it’s fermented, tempeh may also be easier to digest and offer benefits specific to gut and metabolic health.

Avocados

Avocados pack a variety of healthy unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated—the same type found in olive oil—with very little saturated fat. 

They’re nutrient-dense with a mix of fiber, vitamins, and minerals like potassium, which may lower blood pressure, Marklund explains. Yet “at a population level, avocado intake is very low,” Petersen notes.

Chia seeds are another underconsumed food high in both fat and fiber. The average American eats only about half of daily recommended fiber.

How much unsaturated fat should you have?

Guidelines from the American Heart Association advise that 5-10% of your daily calories should come from linoleic acid, the main omega-6 found in our diets. To get enough omega-3s, adults should aim to eat fatty fish twice per week and 1-2 g of ALA daily. 

Most of us already get the recommended amount of linoleic acid, Marklund says, through foods like nuts and seed oils—though “higher intake is linked to better health.” The bigger gap for most people to focus on is increasing omega-3s, he adds.

Remember that fat is energy-dense: 9 calories per gram, compared with 4 for protein or carbohydrates. A diet full of high-fat foods is very calorie-dense, especially without enough fiber- and protein-rich foods, Vadiveloo notes.

For overall intake, adults should get about 20–35% of their calories from fat, while keeping saturated fat below 10% of calories—and closer to 6% for heart health. Rather than obsessing over exact amounts, try to generally reduce foods with saturated fat, substituting sources of unsaturated fats when you can.