Pump up Nutrition with Whole Fats

Plant-based oils, each about 120 calories per tablespoon, contain varying levels of beneficial monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Some contain hard-to-find Vitamin E, but no other nutrients. But what about the sources of these oils, the whole fats?

Just as whole grain brown rice retains fiber and nutrients that are stripped to make it white, whole fats have much more to offer than their oily offspring.

The favorite, olive oil, is high in monounsaturated fat, the kind that elevates good HDL cholesterol without raising bad LDL. For the same 120 calories, the green olives it is made from provide twice the Vitamin E and are a good source of copper. Black olives also contribute almost one quarter of daily iron requirements.

Sunflower seeds have eight times the nutrition of their oil, with two thirds more Vitamin E, and like many nuts and seeds, a bonus of 14 additional vitamins and minerals.

Since most people already consume adequate fat, when adding whole fats to the diet it’s important to reduce fat elsewhere. Sauté with non-fat cooking spray instead of oil. Sprinkle nutty sunflower seeds on your salad and use a fat-free dressing. Top baked tilapia with chopped caper and black olive tapenade. Eliminate the mayonnaise on sandwiches, but top your yogurt with satisfying almonds for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up

Here’s a table of some whole fats and their key benefits.

Whole Fat	Serving Size(120 Calories)	Biggest Benefits,% RDA
Almonds	16 nuts	37% Vitamin E, 26% Copper, 30% Manganese
Brazil Nuts	4 nuts	942% Selenium, 34% Copper
Cashew Nuts	13 nuts	46% Copper
Olives, Green	12 jumbo	21% Vitamin E, 26% Copper
Olives, Black	14 jumbo 24 medium 29 small	23% Vitamin E, 31% Copper, 21% Iron
Pecans	12 halves	43% Manganese, 23% Copper
Walnuts	9 halves	32% Copper, 35% Manganese
Sunflower Seeds	2 ½ tablespoons	69% Vitamin E, 42% Copper, 34% Phosphorous, 30% Selenium, 29% Pantothenic Acid