We often hear about different types of fats – saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fats. So what are monounsaturated fats?

Monounsaturated fats are considered a healthy or good type of fat. A diet with mainly unsaturated fats such as monounsaturated fats (and polyunsaturated fats) instead of saturated fats and trans fats, may hold certain health benefits and protect us from disease.

Having monounsaturated fats may help lower risk of heart disease by improving associated risk factors. For example, these fats may lower levels of total blood cholesterol and bad cholesterol (LDL: low-density lipoprotein), they may also help to normalise blood clotting. Some research shows that monounsaturated fats may also benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which is especially important in diabetes.

So where do we get these monounsaturated fats? Good food sources include: avocados, canola oil, nuts (such as almonds, cashews, macadamias), nut butters (such as peanut and almond), olive oil and olives, peanut oil and sesame seeds.

But remember, all fats including monounsaturated fats are high in kilojoules and even though they are healthy, use them in moderation.

The take-home message here is replace, don't add! Replace foods high in bad fats with foods high in good fats – dont just add the good fat foods. For example, have avo in your salad instead of cheese or snack on a small handful of nuts instead of 2-3 digestive biscuits.