11/18/2019 / By Zoey Sky
Making positive lifestyle changes includes improving your eating habits and avoiding processed, sugary junk food. But did you know that you need to add healthy fats to salads and smoothies to improve your vitamin absorption?
Fresh plant-based foods are full of vitamins and minerals. However, fat-free salads or smoothies aren’t the best way to get your daily dose of nutrients.
Ordering a salad without any dressing or drinking smoothies made with only a protein source and fruits or leafy greens can make you feel like you’re eating clean, but you also need healthy fats to ensure that your diet is well-balanced.
In fact, fat isn’t just a healthy part of nutritious salads and smoothies: It’s an essential ingredient.
Any dish or smoothie that contains greens is also full of fat-soluble vitamins. Leah Silberman, a registered dietitian and founder of Tovita Nutrition, says that you need to pair certain vitamins with healthy fats.
According to her, some vitamins, particularly fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, need to be consumed with healthy fats to boost their absorption.
Some antioxidants also behave similarly, and healthy fats make these antioxidants more bioavailable. To illustrate, lycopene, a phytonutrient found in red tomatoes, is easier to absorb if you cook and eat it with a bit of olive oil.
Leafy greens are a great source of vitamins A, D, E and K. But not eating these vitamin-rich foods with healthy fats prevents you from getting all the nutritional benefits they offer.
Listed below are other sources of fat-soluble vitamins.
Ensure that you’re following a balanced diet by getting enough healthy fat with your vegetables. Do this by adding nuts or skin-on chicken to your salad, and using a dressing made with healthy extra-virgin olive oil.
When it comes to smoothies, include any of these natural sources of healthy fat:
The healthy fats in your salad or smoothie can also help you feel full longer.
Here are more food sources of healthy fat:
Even though these fats are considered “healthy,” it is best to add only moderate amounts to your salads and green smoothies for optimal nutrient absorption.
Sources include:
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