Not All Fats Are Created Equal

For years fats have gotten a bad wrap in mainstream media and for some of these fats, rightfully so but not all fats are bad for you and some are actually healthy and necessary for proper nutrition. For adults dietary guidelines state that about 20-35% of our daily caloric intake
should come from fats. So which fats specifically and where do we find them? Fats are generally broken down into 4 groups: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans fats. We will break down what purpose they serve, whether they are “good” or “bad” for you and which foods you can find them in.

Monounsaturated fats:
These fats are liquid at room temperature and are considered healthy fats and it is recommended that these should account for 15-20% of your daily caloric intake. Monounsaturated fats are beneficial as they help decrease inflammation in the body, can help lower the bad cholesterol (LDL), which helps reduce the risk of heart disease. You can find these fats in oils such as peanut, olive and canola, avocados, nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pecans), as well as pumpkin and sesame seeds.

Polyunsaturated fats:
These fats are similar to monounsaturated as they are also considered healthy fats. Guidelines recommend that 5-10% of our daily caloric intake come from these fats. They help lower LDL similar to monounsaturated, they also contain omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids
which is very beneficial but our body does not produce these naturally so we need to obtain them through our diet. These fats are high in plant based oils such as soybean, corn and sunflower oil. Also found in walnuts and some fish including tuna, herring, albacore tuna and
trout.

Saturated fats:
These fats are typically solid at room temperature and it is recommended that only between 5-6% of our calories come from saturated fats. These fats are found in animal based foods like beef, pork, poultry, full-fat dairy products, eggs and tropical oils like coconut.
Saturated fats are generally considered “bad” fats and should be limited as they can raise cholesterol levels, and increase risk of heart disease. Try eating lean meats and cooking with vegetable oils rather than tropical oils because that will add saturated fats.

Trans fats:
Trans fats can be produced artificially by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them solid. Trans fats are easy to use, inexpensive to produce, last a long time and taste good, which is why many restaurants and fast food outlets use them. These are the worst kind of fats for you and should be very limited in your diet. These fats raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. Look for ingredients called partially hydrogenated oils, these are trans fats. Foods like cookies, donuts, frozen pizza, and others contain trans fats.