Nuts and seeds are also fairly
high in fat and calories. A one-ounce serving of most nuts contains 150–200 calories, with
between 70% and 90% of those
calories coming from fat. Macadamia nuts are at the high end of
the scale, with 98% of their calories
coming from fat. Chestnuts are at
the low end, with less than 1 gram
of fat per one-ounce serving. The
fat in nuts and seeds is mostly
unsaturated and therefore healthy
in moderate amounts. However,
some nuts are particularly high in
saturated fat; those include
cashews, macadamia nuts, and
Brazil nuts.
Nuts and seeds generally contain
low amounts of carbohydrate,
around 5–10 grams per one-ounce
serving. Nuts and seeds with 5–10
grams of carbohydrate per serving
count as half a carbohydrate serving or choice, and those with 10–15
grams of carbohydrate per serving
count as one carbohydrate serving
or choice.
Unsalted nuts and seeds are naturally low in sodium, but salted versions and nut butters can contain
up to 250 milligrams of sodium per
serving. The Dietary Guidelines for
Americans recommends consuming
less than 2300 milligrams of
sodium daily. Look for unsalted
nuts or nuts with 50% less salt
added as an alternative to regular
salted nuts.
Salad dressing
Regular salad dressing, as opposed
to reduced-fat varieties, typically
lists oil as the first ingredient on
the food label and tends to contain
10–20 grams of fat and 100–180
calories per serving. For someone
on a 1500-calorie daily meal plan,
this means that one serving of regular salad dressing could provide
WEB EXTRA
almost 40% of the whole day’s fat
intake. However, almost all the fat
in salad dressings tends to be unsaturated, with the proportions of
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats depending on the oil
used. The saturated fat content of
dressings is typically 1–2 grams per
serving. Generally, dressings of the
oil-and-vinegar type such as vinaigrette or Italian have less fat and
saturated fat per serving than
creamy varieties or those containing cheese.
But your options in salad dressings aren’t limited to full-fat varieties. Fat-free, reduced-fat, or light
dressings are available from almost
every salad dressing manufacturer.
Reduced-fat and light dressings
have at least 50% less fat than their
full-fat counterparts. This typically
translates to 1–8 grams of fat per
serving. Low-fat salad dressings
have 3 grams of fat or less per serving. Fat-free salad dressings have
less than half a gram of fat per serving. Fat-free does not, of course,
necessarily mean low in calories.
Some fat-free salad dressings are
very low in calories, while others
are not.
Most of the calories in salad
dressing tend to come from fat.
However, some dressings contain
significant calories from carbohydrate sources such as sugar, corn
syrup, high-fructose corn syrup,
starch, and plant-based thickeners.
While most regular dressings contain 1–5 grams of carbohydrate per
serving, varieties such as French,
honey Dijon, Russian, and Catalina
typically contain more than 10
grams of carbohydrate per serving.
For those people who follow a
low-sodium diet, it is important to
check the Nutrition Facts panel for
the sodium content of salad dressings. Sodium content can range
from 40 to over 400 milligrams per
serving. Dressings that use vinegar
and herbs for zest rather than
Lea Ann Holzmeister is a Diabetes
Nutrition Specialist and the author of
The Ultimate Calorie, Carb, & Fat
Gram Counter, published by the
American Diabetes Association.
added salt will be lower in sodium.
Don’t forget that for reasons of
nutrition or taste, you can create
your own salad dressing by mixing
a healthy oil such as olive, canola,
flaxseed, sesame, or walnut oil with
vinegar and seasonings.
Fatty fruits
Avocados and olives are two foods,
both technically fruits, that are naturally high in healthy monounsaturated fat. Because these foods are
high in fat, limit your portion size.
One-fourth an avocado or 8–12
olives constitutes one serving, providing about 45–55 calories and 5
grams of fat. One such serving
counts as one unsaturated fat serving in a diabetes meal plan.
Try avocados in sandwiches or
salads, or make guacamole to use
as a spread or dip. Snack on olives
alone or blend them into a tape-nade for dipping. Keep in mind
that olives are high in sodium, with
about 500 milligrams per serving.
Educate yourself
Picking the right sources of fat in
your diet—and the right amounts—
depends first on knowing your
needs, then on knowing what
options are available. If you haven’t
already discussed how to fit fat into
your diet with your health-care
team, such a conversation may
prove useful—especially if you’ve
been avoiding fats whenever possible for lack of a better plan. Once
you’ve developed a personal
approach toward fat, you can refer
to the table that follows, which
shows a variety of fat sources available in most supermarkets. Use the
nutrient information to find items
that fit into your meal plan. ■
