A Big, Fat Deal

Fat has often been maligned as the number one culprit when it comes to weight gain. The reality is that fat enhances the flavor of foods, promotes satiety and is necessary for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins; we need it. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that 20-35% of total calories come from fat. It is the type of fat that is most important. Read on to find out more about different types of fat, the role they play in your health and what foods these fats are found in.

Unsaturated Fats: Poly and Monounsaturated 
These fats are generally found in foods of plant origin:
• Oils (canola, olive, safflower, soybean, corn etc.)
• Nuts and 
• Seeds
• Avocados
These foods contain fats that are known to promote health and should be chosen over foods that contain less healthful saturated and trans fats. 

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat found mostly in fish. Most of us are not getting enough of this essential fat; the general recommendation to consume two servings of fatty fish a week. If fish is not on your weekly menu, consider taking a supplement after checking with your health care provider.

Saturated Fats
These fats are generally found in foods of animal origin: 
• Red Meat
• Poultry skin
• Full-fat dairy (whole milk, ice cream, butter)
• Some plant oils (coconut and palm) 
• Fried foods
Consuming saturated fats can actually raise your cholesterol more than eating cholesterol can. The recommendation from the American Heart Association is to limit saturated fat intake to less than 7% of intake. For a 2000 calorie diet this means that fewer than 15 grams of saturated fat should be consumed in a day. 

Trans Fats
Although trans fats are created naturally in the stomachs of some animals like cows, most of the trans fat in our diet comes from synthetically developed fats used in making in processed foods:
• Pastries 
• Cookies
• Fried foods
• Margarine
• Shortening

Consuming trans fats is known to increase cholesterol levels as much, or more, than saturated fats. The recommendation from the American Heart Association is to limit trans fat intake to less than 1%. For a 2000 calorie diet this means that fewer than 2 grams of trans fat should be consumed in a day, although 0 grams a day is ideal. This can be difficult, but being a savvy shopper will certainly help.

Food manufactures are now required to indicate how many grams of trans fat are in one serving. However if there are 0.5 grams or fewer, the manufacturer is allowed to report that there are 0 grams of trans fat per serving. So potentially you could be consuming 0.5 grams daily or several times a day and not even know it. To avoid this potential pitfall, look at the ingredients list and avoid foods that have ”hydrogenated” oils or “partially hydrogenated” oils in them as these are both trans fats.