Avacados
These little green wonders should have a cape as they are most definitely the super heroes of the produce isle. They are a source of good fat (monounsaturated) which actually lowers your cholesterol. They also are packed with vitamins and minerals and contain fibre and are low in sugar. They are very versatile and can be used for dips, salads even cakes. Buying them can be a bit tricky as you can’t really see how ripe and ready they are. I use the stem button test. All you do is peel back the stem/button on the top and if you find it comes away easily and its green underneath you’ve got a good’n, get it in your basket quick. If its brown underneath throw it back as its over ripe and if the button is stuck solid its not ready to yet.
Olive Oil
Like avocados olive oil is another good source of monounsaturated fat. Always buy a high quality extra virgin olive oil. I use it for frying and in dressings.
Coconut Oil & Milk
Coconut oil contains around 82% saturated fat which is around 20% more than butter, so why on earth do we use it? Well tests have shown that some how coconut oil doesn’t rise LDL (bad cholesterol) as you’d expect and actually boosts HDL (good cholesterol) even more so than olive oil, weird. It has so many uses in the kitchen from a cooking oil to adding it in desserts and in the bathroom to condition your hair to moisturising your skin. When buying get a good quality virgin cold pressed raw oil to make sure you get all of them health benefits.
Tinned coconut milk can be used in place of cream and its very tasty in a curry or if you store it in the fridge over night and separate the thick white cream from the water and whip it up it makes a perfect dessert topping. When buying it go for the full fat tin.