5 Fatty Foods You Can Still Enjoy
Although you may think you have to run the other way when coming face-to-face with these five foods at the market, that's not necessarily the case. Almost any food can be included in a healthy diet, with moderation being key. The five foods below add tremendous flavor and mouthfeel to a variety of dishes. Instead of forgoing them completely, here's how to incorporate them in a healthy way.
1. Butter
Yes, I said butter! One tablespoon of butter contains 102 calories of pure fat, 64 percent of which comes from the saturated kind. Stick butter has a place in baking recipes -- it adds a fabulous texture and mouthfeel, which is tough to replicate with butter alternatives. That's not to say sticks of butter should be used for muffin, cookie and cake recipes. You can always use half the amount of stick butter in a baking recipe and replace the remainder with nonfat plain Greek yogurt or applesauce.
And, if you must have butter on your whole-grain toast, whipped butter is the way to go. Air is dispersed, or whipped, into the butter, giving it fewer calories per volume (67 calories per tablespoon). Use 1 teaspoon on your morning toast for only 22 calories.
2. Mayonnaise
This quintessential "bad" food has a reputation for clogging your arteries. While research strongly links saturated fat with heart disease, integrating a small amount in a healthy eating plan is possible. One cup of regular mayo contains 1,440 calories, 160 grams fat and 24 grams of saturated fat. Even if a recipe serves four to six people, dowsing a cup of mayo on it is not smart. And, although 1 cup of mayo is an excellent source of vitamin E, the calories and fat outweigh the nutritional benefits.
Scale back the mayo to 1 tablespoon and slash back to 103 calories, 12 grams fat and 2 grams of saturated fat. You'll even have about 8 percent of your daily recommended amount of the antioxidant vitamin E. You can add 1 or 2 tablespoons in a recipe that serves four or six, and still come out with a tasty, calorie-conscious dish.
3. Bacon
When I was in nutrition school, bacon was nicknamed "fat with salt." Although those are the main components of the popular pork product, there are still ways to reap its flavor benefits. One slice of thick-cut bacon has about 45 calories and 3 grams of fat. You can get plenty of bacon-y flavor without a pork-load of calories by adding one or even two slices to a recipe that serves four. Cooking those few pieces of bacon the right way by roasting, frying or properly microwaving will ensure you get the most flavor and texture from your bacon.
4. Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is consumed in 94 percent of households in the United States. Some folks may shy away from the peanut-y stuff because of its heavy dose of calories. Two tablespoons of peanut butter (crunchy or smooth) contains about 180 to 200 calories, 8 grams of protein and 16 grams of fat. Most of the fat is from heart-healthy unsaturated fat. Peanuts are also high in niacin, a B vitamin that helps boost energy, and the antioxidant vitamin E. It also contains the antioxidant resveratrol, which is also found in red wine. Look for brands with the simplest ingredient panel: peanuts and salt. To moderate portions, aim for 1 tablespoon of peanut butter for snacks and 2 tablespoons if you are adding it to a meal (like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich).
5. Heavy Cream
One cup of heavy cream contains 414 calories and a whopping 28 grams saturated fat. But there is a way to use heavy cream so it can fit into a healthy eating plan. One of my favorite ways is to beat it into whipped cream. Whipping 1/2 cup of heavy cream yields 1 cup of whipped cream. Mix in vanilla or almond extract for a burst of flavor.
If you want to go a touch lighter, choose half-and-half. It is equal parts cream and whole milk, and contains 10.5 percent to 12 percent milk fat. Each cup provides 315 calories and 17 grams of saturated fat. Half-and-half works well in baked goods and soups.
Whichever type of cream you choose, they're all made from milk, which contains good-for-you nutrients like calcium, riboflavin and vitamin A.
Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is the owner of Toby Amidor Nutrition and author of the cookbook, "The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day" (Grand Central Publishing 2014). She consults and writes for various organizations, including FoodNetwork.com's "Healthy Eats" blog and "Today's Dietitian" magazine.
