I never ate margarine, even when it was popular. I worried a little about the saturated fat, but I reasoned a teeny little pat of the real stuff likely would not lead to my doom…unlike whatever on earth a “buttery spread” might happen to be. But now it sounds as if I can have more than a teeny-sized pat—as long as I’m adding it to something healthy and wholesome rather than an uber-processed slice of bread or a fat-free (but chemical-full) muffin.
The new thinking on fats, according to my favorite medical TV talk show, is that eaten alone or with whole foods, they’re not going to destroy your cholesterol. It’s when you combine them with highly processed foods that you have to worry (fat-free muffin, I’m lookin’ at you.)
Here are some of my favorites from the doc’s nice-not-naughty list of saturated fats (most of which I eat plenty of, thankfully!)
-Milk that isn’t lowfat or fat free
-Eggs, yolks and all!
-Sardines (love the Wild Planet brand made with extra-virgin olive oil!)
–Coconut oil (my favorite! SO healthy!)
–Walnuts (I eat them raw)
–Almonds (raw also; the salt in the roasted varieties makes my fingers swell)
What do you think about saturated fats when not eaten with processed foods? Comment below or tweet me at @AnitasJourney!