Types of fat
You’ve probably heard that eating less fat is one of the keys to a healthy diet. That’s only partly true. Health experts know that, particularly in the area of overall heart health and dietary choices, it’s not just the amount of fat you eat that counts, but the type of fat. It is important to know that not all types of fat are created equal. You may heard about some of these different types – saturated and trans fat, on the one hand, and unsaturated fats – polyunsaturates and monounsaturates – on the other.
It is best to limit saturated and trans fat whenever possible, and choose foods with mono- or polyunsaturated fat in their place more often. Use this list as your guide:
Choose less:
Saturated and trans fat
These fats are found in fatty cuts of meat, many fast food and “junk food” items, full-fat dairy products like cheese, butter and cream, processed foods containing hydrogenated fat, and hard margarines.
Choose these more often instead:
Monounsaturated fats found in canola and olive oil, soft margarines with no trans fat, mayonnaise, nuts, avocados, and olives.
Polyunsaturated fats are found in a variety of nuts, seeds, oils, mayonnaise and soft margarines with no trans fat.
There are two important types of polyunsaturated fats that are essential as part of a healthy diet:
- Omega-3 fats are found in fatty fish such as salmon, omega-3 eggs, canola oil, walnuts and margarine or mayonnaise made with canola oil.
- Omega-6 fats are found in some nuts and seeds, safflower, sunflower and corn oils, and soft margarines with no trans fat.