Avocados: Healthy Fat for Diabetics?

It is perfectly all right to have avocado as part of your diabetic meal plan. Avocado is a monounsaturated fat, and an eighth of an avocado is a serving size.

Fat is an essential nutrient that provides energy, energy storage, and insulation. The types of dietary fat are:

• Saturated fat which includes, animal flesh, butter, processed/hydrogenated oils, and fried foods.
• Polyunsaturated fat (vegetable oil, safflower oil and corn and flaxseed oils).
• Monounsaturated fats which includes vegetable oils like olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, and avocados.
• Omega 3 fatty acids which are highly polyunsaturated and come from seafood such as tuna and salmon, as well as nuts, soy and flaxseed oils.
• Omega 6 fatty acids, which are highly polyunsaturated and come from soybean, corn and safflower oils.

The best sources of fat include nuts, seeds, oily fish, olive oil, and lean meats. According to the World Health Organization, we should restrict our fat intake to 30 percent of our total daily calories.

Quantity is not the only issue - the type of fat is also very important. Certain types of fat, like the Omega 3s from seeds, nuts and fish, are now viewed as essential to a healthy diet!

As always I would also stress the importance of eating well-balanced meals and snacks that include plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits and whole grains.