The Role of Healthy Fats Beyond the MyPlate Model
The MyPlate model, developed by the USDA, provides a simple visual guide for building a balanced meal, highlighting fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. However, it omits a specific category for healthy fats, including oils, which can be misleading. Instead, MyPlate places oils under a separate, but important, 'Key Topics' section, acknowledging their nutritional value. This article delves into why healthy oils are indispensable for overall health and how to properly incorporate them into your eating plan.
Fats, including those from oils, have historically been given a bad reputation, but it's the type of fat that matters most. While saturated fats, found in solid form like butter or lard, and artificial trans fats should be limited, unsaturated fats are beneficial. Oils, which are fats that are liquid at room temperature, are a primary source of these healthy unsaturated fats.
Essential Benefits of Healthy Oils
Your body relies on fats for a variety of critical functions, and the healthy fats found in oils are particularly valuable. They are a concentrated source of energy, and some, like omega-3 and omega-6, are considered "essential" because the body cannot produce them on its own. These essential fatty acids are vital for brain development, managing inflammation, and blood clotting.
Moreover, healthy fats are crucial for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). Without an adequate intake of healthy fats, your body cannot effectively utilize these important vitamins, regardless of how many vitamin-rich vegetables you consume. These fats also contribute to satiety, helping you feel full and satisfied after a meal, which can aid in weight management. For heart health, replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats can improve cholesterol levels by lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol and supporting "good" HDL cholesterol.
Choosing and Using Healthy Oils
When it comes to incorporating healthy oils, variety is key. Monounsaturated fats are found in olive, canola, and peanut oils, as well as in avocados and certain nuts. Polyunsaturated fats, including the essential omega-3s, are abundant in fish, flaxseed, walnuts, and oils like canola and soybean. To maximize the health benefits, it's recommended to choose oils high in unsaturated fats over those high in saturated fats, such as coconut and palm oil, which are nutritionally considered solid fats despite their liquid state in warmer temperatures.
It is also important to pay attention to how you use oils in cooking. For high-heat cooking methods like frying or roasting, oils with a high smoke point, such as avocado or refined canola oil, are best. For lower-heat cooking, sautéing, or dressings, extra-virgin olive oil is an excellent choice. Flaxseed and walnut oil, rich in delicate omega-3s, should not be heated and are best used in salad dressings or for finishing a dish.
MyPlate vs. Healthy Eating Plate
For a clearer perspective on the role of healthy fats, it is helpful to compare the USDA's MyPlate with the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate, which was created in part to address MyPlate's shortcomings, particularly regarding fats.
| Feature | USDA MyPlate | Harvard Healthy Eating Plate |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy Oils | Included as a 'Key Topic' but not a main food group. | Depicts a bottle of healthy oil, emphasizing its importance. |
| Fat Emphasis | Tends to promote a low-fat diet, which may not differentiate between healthy and unhealthy fats. | Encourages replacing saturated fats and limiting butter, with no maximum daily percentage on healthy fat sources. |
| Saturated Fats | Advises limiting saturated fat intake. | Recommends limiting butter and avoiding trans fat entirely. |
| Hydration | Recommends water and low-fat milk. | Emphasizes water, coffee, or tea, and advises limiting milk and dairy. |
| Weight Management | Provides general recommendations for physical activity and portion control. | Includes a clear message about staying active for weight control. |
This comparison shows that while MyPlate gives a good overview of the core food groups, a more complete understanding of balanced nutrition, especially concerning fats, requires additional knowledge. The Harvard plate explicitly includes healthy oils, offering a more nuanced approach to dietary fat.
How to Integrate Oils Effectively
Integrating healthy oils into your diet doesn't require complex meal changes. Here is a simple list of actionable steps:
- Swap cooking fats: Replace butter, lard, or shortening with olive or canola oil for sautéing and baking where appropriate.
- Add healthy toppings: Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over salads, roasted vegetables, or whole-grain pasta.
- Incorporate nuts and seeds: Add a handful of walnuts or almonds to your salads, or sprinkle flaxseeds into your oatmeal.
- Choose fatty fish: Aim to eat oily fish like salmon or mackerel at least twice a week for omega-3 fatty acids.
- Make your own dressings: Use a healthy oil, vinegar, and herbs to create your own homemade salad dressings, avoiding store-bought versions high in sugar and less healthy fats.
Conclusion
While MyPlate is a valuable and straightforward educational tool, the answer to "which is not considered a MyPlate food group but should be included in your eating plan?" is healthy fats, primarily from oils. These are not mere calories to be minimized but essential nutrients vital for bodily function, heart health, and vitamin absorption. By focusing on a balance of food groups and making conscious choices to include healthy, unsaturated fats from oils, nuts, and seeds, you can build a more comprehensive and nutritious eating plan than MyPlate alone suggests. The key is to move beyond the simplistic food group categorization and embrace the nuanced role that different types of fats play in a truly healthy diet.
