Put healthy fats on your menu

Smart Shopping

Here are some tips for choosing healthier fats at the grocery store:

• For the pantry
• In the dairy aisle
• At the deli and fresh meat section
• In the produce area
• In the bakery
• Look for the Health Check logo
• Diet-related health claims

Read the Nutrition Facts panel and choose foods that are trans fat free and low in saturated fat (3 g or less)

For the pantry:

1. Choose canola or olive oil (or soft margarine made from these oils) instead of butter
2. Choose regular or light mayonnaise made from canola or olive oil
3. To enhance flavours without relying on saturated fat, look for mustards, salsas, flavoured vinegars and stock up on herbs like basil, tarragon, oregano and rosemary
4. If you like to have snacks on hand, choose ones that have no trans fat and are low in saturated fat. You can make better choices with crackers, rice chips, tortillas and popcorn by paying close attention to the information on the Nutrition Facts panel

In the dairy aisle:

1. Choose skim, 1% or 2% milk instead of whole milk or cream
2. Choose yogurts with 3 g fat or less per 175 mL serving
3. Look for cheese with 15% milk fat or less milk fat can be found on all packaged cheese – it may say "MF" instead of milk fat

At the deli and fresh meat section:

1. Look for "extra lean" cuts of meat – the more white marbling on the meat = the more saturated fat it contains
2. Choose lean cuts of skinless chicken and turkey breasts
3. Eat fish once or twice a week, especially omega-3-rich varieties like salmon, trout, albacore tuna, herring, mackerel and sardines
4. Look for omega-3 eggs, as well as frozen egg whites
5. Enjoy a small handful of nuts or use peanut butter

In the produce area:

1. Almost all fruits and vegetables are fat free! Buy a good selection of colourful fruits and vegetables every time you shop
2. Olives and avocado do contain fat and are higher in calories than other fruits and vegetables, but they contain mostly monounsaturated fat (which is a good fat)

In the bakery:

1. Look for whole grain breads baked without added fat. Bread is often a low fat or fat-free food, so there is no need to choose a bread with fat
2. Steer clear of croissants – the fresh ones are loaded with butter and the packaged ones are even worse – they are made with shortening that is high in trans fat
3. Practice moderation when enjoying treats like cookies, cakes and pies. There are many healthier options that are made without hydrogenated oil or shortening – read the ingredient list and the Nutrition Facts panel to make smarter choices. Even better – bake at home using soft, non hydrogenated margarine instead of shortening or butter

Look for the Health Check logo:

Diet-related health claims:

1. Some pre-packaged foods are now allowed to include diet-related health claims on the label. These claims indicate the relationship between diet and risk of disease.
2. Foods must meet strict, well-established criteria to use a health claim, and wording of the claims is standardized. For example, the health claim relating to fat is: "A healthy diet low in saturated and trans fats may reduce the risk of heart disease. [Name of product] is low in saturated and trans fats."
3. Watch for these health claims on packaged foods and use them to help you make healthy choices at the grocery store