Finding Fats That Nourish: A Clear Guide to Choosing the Right Oils Every Day

Eating for Gut Health
Written By Stephanie Walsh

🕒 5-6 min read

Glass jar of olive oil with fresh olives and rosemary sprig, alongside ceramic heart-shaped ramekins with seasoned oil - illustrating healthy fat choices for gut and overall health.

In a hurry? Here are highlights worth noting:

  • Healthy fats fuel digestion, hormones, and energy - and your body needs all three to thrive.

  • Balance is key: embrace natural sources like olive oil, nuts, salmon, and avocado; skip ultra-refined oils, and know how to cook and store your oils.

  • Find easy ways to cook with healthy fats on my Gut Healthy Meals Pinterest board.

  • If you’re navigating bloating, hormone shifts, or just feel off after meals, upgrading your fats can help you feel more nourished and balanced.

📌 Keep reading - or save this post for when you’re ready to feel more confident about your oil choices.

For years, fat has received a bad reputation. Somewhere along the way we were taught to fear it, labeling it as the enemy of health, energy, and a happy body.

But your body is wise and it was never meant to run on fear of fat. The truth is, healthy fats are essential. They nourish every system in your body, from your heart to your hormones, so you can feel energized and balanced.

As a Master Nutrition Therapist, Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition®, and Certified Eating Psychology Coach, I’ve spent over a decade helping clients make peace with food and their bodies - including their relationship with fat. 

This post will help you reconnect with the truth about dietary fats, including which ones are worth embracing, which to minimize, and how to feel more confident in the oils you use every day.

What Are Healthy Fats?

Fats are one of the three major macronutrients, alongside proteins and carbohydrates. Naturally occurring fats - saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated - each play a unique role in your health. The key is balance and quality.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

  • Saturated Fats - Solid at room temperature and stable at higher temps. Found in organic meats, eggs, cheese, butter, coconut oil, and palm oil.

  • Monounsaturated Fats - Liquid at room temp and relatively stable. Found in olives, olive oil, avocados, almonds, and macadamia nuts.

  • Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs) - Liquid at room temp but more delicate. Found in walnuts, flax and chia seeds, hemp seeds, fatty fish, and high-oleic sunflower or safflower oils.

Now, let’s talk about unnatural fats:

  • Refined Vegetable Oils - Heavily processed using heat, chemicals, and deodorants. These oils are prone to oxidation and can promote inflammation in the body.

  • Trans Fats - Chemically altered to stay solid at room temp. They raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and increase risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

So, what’s the takeaway?
For balance and quality, aim for a mix of natural fats in your diet - saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. No single type needs to be avoided entirely. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to exclude any one type, since all fat sources are a blend. For example, olive oil contains some saturated fat, but it’s mostly monounsaturated.

Five glass jars of healthy oils with small bowls of their whole food sources: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, olives, flaxseeds, and pumpkin seeds. Highlighting the balance and quality your body needs for digestion, hormone balance, and brain health.

Nature’s original packaging. Each oil begins as a seed or fruit - small but mighty sources of nourishment your body knows and craves.

Curious how to turn these nourishing fats into real meals you’ll love? Check out my Gut Healthy Meals curated Pinterest board for easy, delicious ways to use healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds.

Why Healthy Fats Matter: 10 Key Benefits

Fats are foundational to your body’s daily function. They act as fuel, builders, protectors, and communicators in your body. Here’s why you want them on your plate:

  • Help absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K

  • Cushion and protect organs

  • Regulate hormones

  • Support resilient cell membranes

  • Promote vision health

  • Aid bone growth and repair

  • Boost fertility and reproductive function

  • Balance inflammation and immunity

  • Improve skin health and elasticity

  • Enhance mood, brain function, and appetite regulation


Did you know?
A 2017 advisory from the American Heart Association found that replacing excess saturated fat with a more balanced ratio of polyunsaturated fats can reduce cardiovascular risk by 30% - on par with the effect of statins.

A 2024 study also highlighted how polyunsaturated fats support immune function, blood pressure regulation, and vitamin assimilation. When you eat healthy fats in their whole, natural forms, your body recognizes and puts those fats to work.

A variety of whole food sources of healthy fats—including salmon, avocado, nuts, and yogurt - show how balanced, natural fats can support digestion, hormone regulation, and overall well-being.

From land, sea, and plant - whole food fats bring flavor, satisfaction, and powerful nourishment to every plate.

Looking for a way to start tuning in to how food makes you feel? Download my free 7-Day Food & Observation Journal - a simple, eye-opening tool to help you connect the dots between what you eat and how you feel, one meal at a time.

How to Cook, Store, and Incorporate Healthy Fats

Here’s how to confidently make fats work for you - in the kitchen and beyond.

Cooking with Fats

All fats and oils have a smoke point - the temperature at which they begin to break down.

Why it matters: once an oil hits its smoke point, it starts to degrade, forming free radicals that may increase inflammation over time.

To keep your oils healthy and safe:

Use virgin and cold-pressed oils for:

  • Salad dressings

  • Dips

  • Finishing oils

  • Low-heat sautéing

Use naturally refined or expeller-pressed oils for:

  • Sautéing and roasting

  • Stir-frying

  • Baking or grilling

(Saturated fats like coconut oil or ghee, and high-oleic oils like avocado oil, shine in high-heat cooking.)

Hands preparing to cook with a wok, symbolizing how mindful oil choices and cooking methods help preserve the benefits of healthy fats.

Every meal is a chance to nourish well - choosing the right oils and cooking methods helps your body soak up the benefits.

Storing Your Oils Wisely

Fats are sensitive creatures - they don’t like heat, light, or oxygen. To prevent rancidity:

  • Store in cool, dark places (or the fridge for delicate oils)

  • Choose glass containers over plastic

  • Mark the purchase date and use within 6 months

  • Give it a sniff - if it smells off, it likely is

Incorporating Healthy Fats

A little fat goes a long way. Even if you’re not following a high-fat plan like keto, it’s easy to add the right fats to your day:

  • Eat the whole egg (yolk = healthy fats + key micronutrients)

  • Add avocado to your salad

  • Drizzle olive oil over roasted veggies

  • Toss walnuts into your oatmeal

  • Be generous with stir-fry oil (without deep frying)

  • Make buttered brown rice for a richer side dish

  • Use homemade bone broth - and keep some of that natural fat on top for flavor and nourishment

Final Thoughts: Fat Was Never Your Enemy 

When chosen with care and used with intention, nourishing fats can be some of the most healing, supportive ingredients in your kitchen.

So go ahead and drizzle the olive oil, mash the avocado, enjoy that bite of wild salmon. These aren’t just foods - they’re nature’s way of supporting your energy, your hormones, your digestion, and your beautifully complex body.

The more you stay curious about what feels good in your body, the more confident and empowered you’ll feel - at the table and beyond.

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Stephanie Walsh
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