day · fixed · day 80 of 365

National Healthy Fats Day

One of the common themes running through health-care used to be “Fat is Bad!” leading people to lean on carbs, including sugar and processed foods, instead. The fallout from this decision?

Body & Health Fish Food & Drink Nuts62

Marketing angleinferred

Position healthy fats (nuts, fish, oils) as essential nutrition and debunk the "fat is bad" myth to drive product sales and education-led engagement.

Relevance 62medium intent

Myth-busting infographic: Which fats your body actually needs
Recipe spotlight: 3 delicious meals built on healthy fats (nuts, avocado, fish)
Expert Q&A: Nutritionist explains saturated vs. unsaturated fats
Customer testimonials: How switching to healthy fats improved energy and health

History

Throughout history people have been trying to decide what’s healthy for you, and what isn’t.

This situation has only been aggravated by the fact that information on this is mixed and confusing when coming from the healthcare profession, and even worse when received from health gurus who claim to have ‘miracle diets’ with a list of ‘super-foods’ and ‘killers’.

The truth is that there are healthy and unhealthy fats, and that fat is a necessary and important part of our bodies, and especially our brains, development and health.

While common wisdom about fats stated that saturated fats and trans fats were unhealthy for us, the jury is out on that as well. What becomes increasingly apparent is that it isn’t so much the types of fat we eat, as the amounts, that is the issue.

The one thing that is well-known is that our bodies actually require certain levels of unsaturated fats to be healthy, and that their presence in the body can reduce our chances of getting heart disease.

Healthy Fats Day was established to help spread awareness of the importance of fat in our diet, and to help give a platform for information about the facts and myths surrounding it.

If you were raised believing that fats are universally harmful for you, it’s time to reevaluate your lifestyle, your diet, and your knowledge. National Healthy Fats Day gives you that opportunity.

How to celebrate

Learn & Improve Awareness

Healthy Fats Day is all about awareness and education on fats in our diet, so one of the best ways to celebrate National Healthy Fats Day is to spend some of the day studying current health information surrounding it.

Cook with Healthy Fats

You can also prepare some meals that may be fat-heavy but are laden with healthy fats and delicious flavors. When you do, take time to prepare cards talking about the healthy fats in the food and what it does for your body, and then share that information with your friends or family as they gather around the table.

FAQ

How do healthy fats differ from unhealthy fats in everyday foods?

Healthy fats are typically unsaturated fats, which include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in foods such as olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish. These fats tend to support heart health by improving blood lipid profiles when they replace saturated fat and especially trans fat. Unhealthy fats are mainly industrial trans fats and, in many cases, excess saturated fat, which are common in fried fast foods, some baked goods, and highly processed snacks; health organizations advise limiting these because they increase LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Is eating more fat always better if someone cuts back on carbohydrates?

Not necessarily. Research on dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet shows that when carbohydrates, especially refined grains and added sugars, are reduced and replaced with mostly unsaturated fats from plant oils, nuts, and fish, markers of heart and metabolic health often improve. However, simply increasing total fat intake without attention to fat quality, total calories, and overall diet pattern can still lead to weight gain and increased cardiovascular risk, so the balance of foods matters more than a single macronutrient target.

Why are omega‑3 fats often called “heart‑healthy”?

Omega‑3 polyunsaturated fats, found in oily fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel, as well as in some plant sources such as flaxseed and walnuts, have been linked to reduced triglycerides, modest reductions in blood pressure, and lower risk of some cardiovascular outcomes when consumed as part of a balanced diet. Major health bodies encourage regular intake of omega‑3 rich fish, in part because humans cannot synthesize enough of these essential fats on their own.

Are all saturated fats equally harmful for health?

Current evidence suggests that saturated fats as a group tend to raise LDL cholesterol, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, so most guidelines still recommend limiting them. At the same time, research indicates that health effects may depend on the specific food source and what replaces saturated fat in the diet, with some whole foods like yogurt and certain cheeses not showing the same risk pattern as processed meats, and replacement with refined carbohydrates offering no benefit. This has led experts to emphasize overall dietary patterns and food sources rather than focusing only on a single nutrient.

What is the main concern with industrial trans fats?

Industrial trans fats are created when liquid vegetable oils are partially hydrogenated, and they became common in some margarines, shortenings, and commercially baked or fried foods. These fats are strongly associated with higher LDL cholesterol, lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and a significantly increased risk of heart disease, which led the World Health Organization and many national authorities to call for their virtual elimination from the food supply.

How can someone tell if a packaged food is a good source of healthy fats?

A person can review the nutrition label for the amounts of total, saturated, and trans fat and then scan the ingredient list for sources such as nuts, seeds, olive or canola oil, and fish, which indicate mostly unsaturated fats. Limited or no industrial trans fats, modest saturated fat, and the presence of whole‑food fat sources, together with low added sugars and sodium, are signs that the product is more likely to contribute positively to a balanced eating pattern.

Do low‑fat diets always lead to better health outcomes than higher‑fat diets?

Large nutrition studies show that very low‑fat diets are not automatically healthier, especially when fat calories are replaced with refined starches and added sugars. Diets that include a higher proportion of energy from unsaturated fats, alongside plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, can be as good as or better than strict low‑fat diets for cardiovascular and metabolic health, so quality and variety of foods are more important than pursuing an extremely low fat percentage.