Notes

Fat is confusing. We know we need it, but we're often told to eat foods that are low in fat. So, while eating low-fat foods may be good advice, staying away from high-fat foods is sound eating.

Fats are not all equal and come in several forms: saturated fat, unsaturated fat, and trans fat.

Eat Less Saturated and Trans Fats

Saturated fat comes from dairy products such as whole milk, butter, ice cream, cheese, meats and poultry, and solid vegetable oils such as palm and coconut oil. You can tell if a fat is saturated if it is solid at room temperature but melts when heated.


Eating foods that are high in saturated fats may raise your blood cholesterol levels, clog your arteries and, over time, increase your risk of developing heart disease.

Trans fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil in a process called "hydrogenation." Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor of foods. Trans fat is found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils.

Unlike other fats that occur naturally, most trans fat is formed when food manufacturers turn liquid oils into solid fats. Eating foods with trans fat raises your blood cholesterol and increases your risk for heart disease.

Eat More Unsaturated Fats


Unsaturated fat is found in plant products such as vegetable oils (olive, canola, corn, peanut, and soybean), most nuts, olives, avocados, and fatty fish like salmon. This type of fat is usually liquid at room temperature. There are two types of unsaturated fats: polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Eating these fats may lower your bad cholesterol and raise your good cholesterol, thus decreasing your risk of developing heart disease.
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The Nutrition Source: Fats and Cholesterol
Here's everything you ever wanted to know about fats, courtesy of the Harvard School of Public Health. This site goes into easy-to-understand detail about such topics as good fat vs. bad fat, polyunsaturated vs. saturated fats, and the links between fat, cholestorol, and disease.