The Med Way: Step 2 - Swap Your Fats - UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County

The Mediterranean Diet (the Med Way) is a long-standing, recommended approach to balanced eating that supports optimal health and chronic disease prevention. The Med Way centers around seven simple eating tips. Last month, we explored Step #1: Changing Your Protein. Now let’s take a closer look at Step #2.

Tip # 2: Swap Your Fats

One of the easiest changes you can make is swapping out butter, lard, and other solid fats for healthier, plant-based oils. This is a simple shift that can improve heart health while still adding flavor to your meals. Although dietary fats are essential, moderation is key. You can also add in other healthy fat sources to increase your intake of mono- and poly-unsaturated fats that come from plant sources and fish.

When eating the Med Way, your dietary fat intake is going to be sourced from a combination of nutrient-rich foods such as:

Plant-based oils (olive, avocado, canola),
Avocados
Edamame
Nuts
Seeds
Tofu
Lean meats
Seafood

Aim for 4 Tablespoons per Day

Eating the Med Way aims at getting four tablespoons (¼ cup) of olive oil spread througout meals and snacks during the day. While this may sound like a lot, the healthy oil is simply replacing unhealthy oils in the diet.

Contrary to belief, research has shown that a higher-fat Mediterranean Diet did not lead to weight gain and shows better health benefits to reduce risk of chronic disease such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Just remember GO, SLOW, WHOA

GO Fats

Enjoy these more often.

GO fats are those we want be intentional about adding to our diet because they help low our LDL (low density lipoprotien) cholesterol and triglyceride levels which reduce risk of heart disease. Go fats include mono- and poly-unsaturated fats and are found in plant-based oils, fish, nuts, seeds, beans (e.g. edamame) and tofu.

SLOW Fats

Enjoy these in moderation.

SLOW fats are saturated fats that can be sourced from combination of animal-based proteins, full-fat dairy, butter, lard, and tropical cooking oils such as cocount oil, etc. Limit saturated fats to 10% of your daily caloric intake because they contribute to high LDL cholesterol and increase the risk for heart disease.

WHOA Fats

Limit or avoid these options.

WHOA fats include trans fats and hydrogenated oils that have been shown to be harmful to health. Avoid processed foods that contain trans fats such as fried foods, baked goods, conventinece foods and freezer meals and snacks by find products that report zero trans fat on the nutrition facts label and do not contain “partially hydrogenated oils” on the ingredients list.

Make Olive Oil Your Go-To Fat Choice:

Use olive oil in place of butter, shortnening, or mayonaisse to reduce your intake of saturated fat and increase heart-healthy monounsatrated fats.

Try olive oil for:

Coating baking pans and skillets
Toasts and crispy hot sandwiches
Stir-Frying
Grilling
Roasting
Sauteing
Air Frying
Homemade Salad Dressings and Marinades

Other healthy fat topping ideas:

Nuts
Seeds
Avocado

*Note, we will talk more about nuts and seeds later in this series when we discuss tip #5.

Additional Resources:

Swap Your Fats (Med Instead of Meds Curriculum):
https://medinsteadofmeds.com/tips-and-tools/swap-your-fats/

Four Ways to Get Good Fats (American Heart Association):
https://www.ndsuhttps://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/4-ways-to-get-good-fats-infographicedu/agriculture/sites/default/files/2025-04/fn1643.pdf

Learn more about the Mediterranean Diet at one of our upcoming classes:
https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/cooking-up-health-4833394

The “7 Simple Steps to Eating the Med Way” are derived from the Med Instead of Meds curriculum developed by NC State University and NC Division of Public Health.

https://medinsteadofmeds.com/tips-and-tools/introduction-7-simple-steps/

Delicious Recipes to Try That Incorporate Olive Oil:

Olive Oil Toast: https://medinsteadofmeds.com/olive-oil-toast/
Citrus Salad Dressing: https://medinsteadofmeds.com/citrus-salad-dressing/
Honey Roasted Chickpeas: https://medinsteadofmeds.com/honey-roasted-chickpeas/
Oven Roasted Vegetables: https://medinsteadofmeds.com/oven-roasted-vegetables/

Arugula Pesto: https://followfreshfromflorida.com/recipes/florida-arugula-pesto