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High Fat Foods for Keto – The fatty details you need to know.

high fat foods for keto featured image
Posted on January 24, 2020 By Lara

In this article, we’re going in depth discussing high fat foods for keto and dishing up all the fatty details you need to know!

keto fats

What are good fats for a ketogenic diet? What fats can I eat on keto? What fats are good for ketosis? Is saturated fat good for you? Are fatty foods good on keto? What are healthy fats for keto?

These are questions we get asked repeatedly. This is why we created this keto fats guide to help you navigate healthy fats for a keto diet.

Since fat is an integral part of a ketogenic diet, it makes since that you should be concerned with the types of fat you include in your meal plan. But what types of fat are good and what types of fat are bad?

high fat foods for keto

In This Article

  • Good Fats vs Bad Fats
  • What is Saturated Fat?
  • What Are Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)?
  • Polyunsaturated Fat vs Monounsaturated Fat
  • What are Omega-3 Fatty Acids?
  • What Are Omega-6 Fatty Acids?
  • What are Trans Fats?
  • Beginner Keto Shopping List Printable with Keto Fats List

Good Fats vs Bad Fats

Good Fats List

  • Saturated fats
  • Monounsaturated fats
  • Polyunsaturated fats

What is Saturated Fat?

saturated fats

A saturated fat is a fat that is typically solid at room temperature. From a molecular standpoint, saturated fats are molecules that have no double bonds between carbon molecules.

Is Saturated Fat Good or Bad?

This has been a hotly debated topic in recent years. We now know that saturated fat and cholesterol do not lead to an increased risk of heart disease. In fact, saturated fat may have some protective features. This is because cooking with saturated fats are less likely to be oxidized or degraded than cooking with an unsaturated fat, such as vegetable oil.

If you’re looking for an overview of what happens to your cholesterol on a low carb diet, check out Cholesterol Code from Dave Feldman. 

saturated fats on a keto diet

Foods High in Saturated Fat

  • Coconut oil
  • Cocoa butter
  • Eggs
  • Butter
  • Cream
  • Palm oil
  • Red meat
  • Lard (both saturated and unsaturated)
  • Tallow (both saturated and unsaturated)
  • Duck Fat (both saturated and unsaturated)
  • Pili Nuts (both saturated and unsaturated)

What Are Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)?

medium chain triglycerides

Medium-chain triglycerides are saturated fats found in foods like coconut oil, palm kernel oil, human breast milk, goat milk, cow milk, coconut meat, and dried coconut. MCTs are metabolized differently than long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) found in other foods. MCTs have 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

  • C6: Caproic acid or hexanoic acid.
  • C8: Caprylic acid or octanoic acid.
  • C10: Capric acid or decanoic acid.
  • C12: Lauric acid or dodecanoic acid.

MCTs are digested differently than LCTs and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). They can go directly to the liver to be broken down, absorbed, and used for energy in the form of ketones.

In this study on MCTs and cognitive impairments, the addition of medium-chain triglycerides to the diet in Alzheimer’s disease patients was shown to induce mild ketosis and showed a trend towards cognitive improvements. 

Polyunsaturated Fat vs Monounsaturated Fat

What is Monounsaturated Fat (MUFA)?

monounsaturated fats

Monounsaturated fats are fat molecules that have one unsaturated carbon bond (double bond) in the molecule.  These oils are typically liquid at room temperature, but start to turn solid when chilled.

list of mufas

High Fat Foods – Foods High in Monounsaturated Fats

  • Olives and olive oil
  • Avocados and avocado oil
  • Lard (both saturated and unsaturated)
  • Tallow (both saturated and unsaturated)
  • Duck fat (both saturated and unsaturated)
  • Macadamia nuts and oil
  • Pili nuts (both saturated and unsaturated)

What is Polyunsaturated Fat (PUFA)?

polyunsaturated fats

PUFAs are fat molecules that have more than one unsaturated carbon bond (double bond) in the molecule. These fats are typically liquid at room temperature.

These fats should not be used for cooking because they can cause free radicals when heated. Instead these oils should be eaten cold/uncooked.

High Fat Foods – Foods High in Polyunsaturated Fats

  • Fatty fish
  • Walnuts
  • Chia seeds
  • Sesame seeds
  • Flax seeds

Note that olives, olive oil, and avocados contain a mixture of both MUFA and PUFA, but are higher in MUFA.

What are Omega-3 Fatty Acids?

omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential polyunsaturated fatty acids with the double bond in the third carbon position from the methyl group.

Types of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

  • EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)
  • DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)
  • ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) – mainly found in plant sources

High Fat Foods – Foods High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The following foods are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids:

  • Sardines
  • Tuna
  • Trout
  • Mackerel
  • Anchovies
  • Salmon
  • Other fatty fish
  • Flaxseed
  • Chia seeds
  • Soybean
  • Canola oil

What Are Omega-6 Fatty Acids?

omega-6 fatty acids

Omega-6 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids with the initial double bond in the sixth carbon position from the methyl group.

High Fat Foods – Foods High in Omega-6 Fatty Acids

The following foods are good sources of omega-6 fatty acids:

  • Corn
  • Cottonseed
  • Soybean
  • Sunflower
  • Flaxseed
  • Grapeseed
  • Pistachios

What are Trans Fats?

Trans fats are fats that have been chemically modified so that they are no longer liquid at room temperature. For example, heating an oil to a high temperature to form margarine.

Trans fats are often found in processed and boxed foods to extend the shelf life of foods. Trans fats have been linked to raising LDL cholesterol and decreasing HDL cholesterol.

Beginner Keto Shopping List Printable with Keto Fats List

Check out our printable keto grocery list to make keto grocery shopping easier!

We frequently get asked “How much fat should I eat on keto?” We wrote an article on How to Calculate Macros For a Keto Diet.

We love hearing from you!

If you like this post, share it with your mom, bestie, hubs, or wife! Or bookmark it to easily find it later.

You can also tag #theketoqueens on social media.

To stay up-to-date, Follow us on Instagram @therealketoqueens, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

I want to start keto!

Let's do this together! In a month you'll be happy you started. Take it one step at a time:

  1. Read this article about keto. It'll answer a ton of your questions.
  2. Calculate your macros. It's easy and we'll walk you through it.
  3. Find out what foods are keto. It's more than you might think!
  4. Put together your keto meal plan. Go with recipes you love, and try some new things too.
  5. Make your keto shopping list.
  6. Grocery shop. Cook. Enjoy. And reap the benefits of keto.

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Comments

  1. Linda says

    I need help. I just need to get started! I’m scared of Keto Flu, my food budget, and of another diet failure.
    Where do I start?

    Reply
    • Lara says

      Hi Linda,
      Have you read our “start here” section at the top of the blog?

      Reply
  2. Barbara K Bosse says

    Just researching Keto, trying to learn before jumping in the deep end. Problem, the supplements you mention in your post are very expensive. I hope not taking them doesn’t cripple the diet.

    Reply
    • Lara says

      You don’t have to take supplements to follow a keto diet if you eat whole foods high in fat and choose fattier cuts of meats.

      Reply
  3. Cee says

    The information was very helpful. I started keto last year around this time lost 13lbs. but overindulged in cookies and chips. Now I’m starting again with a better understanding of how to calculate the amount of fat, protein & carbs to consume. Although I lost weight I was in keto starvation my ketone levels were like 66+, can you discus high ketone levels?

    Reply

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Hello! Whether you’re a keto newbie, already keto-adapted, or just keto-curious, you’re in the right place. Here at The Keto Queens, we share keto lifestyle tips, informative tidbits, and of course tasty low carb and keto recipes that your whole family will love. We want to inspire you, and show you that you can do this! Welcome to the family.

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The Keto Queens is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, The Keto Queens may receive a percentage of the sales price. We only recommend products that we love and use. To learn more, please read our Privacy Policy.
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