How Do I Know Which Fats Are Healthy and Unhealthy?
There are 2 types of healthy fat and 2 types of unhealthy fat. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are healthy fats. Saturated fats and trans fats are unhealthy fats. Choose foods that have more healthy fats. Limit how much saturated fat you eat and get rid of trans fat from your diet as best you can.
Healthy Fats
| Type of Fat | Food Source | Effect on Your Body | Amount You Can Have Every Day |
| Monounsaturated fat | Cooking oils, like olive oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil and safflower oil Avocado Olives Nuts and seeds |
Lowers bad cholesterol Might lower your risk of heart disease |
Eat foods with monounsaturated fats or polyunsaturated fats instead of foods with trans fat or saturated fat. |
| Polyunsaturated fat | Cooking oils, like soybean oil, corn oil and safflower oil Nuts and seeds, like flaxseeds, walnuts and sunflower seeds Tofu Soy beans Fatty fish, like salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout and herring |
Lowers bad cholesterol Might lower your risk of heart disease |
Eat foods with monounsaturated fats or polyunsaturated fats instead of foods with trans fat or saturated fat. |
Unhealthy Fats
| Type of Fat | Food Source | Effect on Your Body | Amount You Can Have Every Day |
| Saturated fat | Fatty meats, like chicken skin, beef, sausage, bacon, lamb and pork Beef fat Lard Whole milk or 2% milk or cream Full-fat cheese Butter Some plant oils, like palm oil, palm kernel and coconut oil |
Raises bad cholesterol Raises your risk of heart disease |
Less than 7% of the calories you eat every day. Based on your daily calorie limit, that is _____ grams per day. |
| Trans fat (Listed on nutrition label as partially hydrogenated oil) |
Baked goods, like pastries, biscuits, muffins, cakes, pie crusts, doughnuts and cookies Fried food Snack foods, like popcorn and crackers Stick margarine Vegetable shortening |
Raises bad cholesterol Lowers good cholesterol Raises your risk of heart disease |
Avoid all trans fat or eat less than 1% of the calories you eat every day. Based on your daily calorie limit, that is _____ grams per day. |
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