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Choosing the Right Fats

Choosing the Right Fats:

Foods often have more than one type of fat. As a general rule, those that have mostly saturated fat are thicker (ie, butter, lard, cream), while those that are mostly unsaturated are thinner (ie, oils).

Saturated fat

Foods rich in saturated fat include:

Whole milk

Cream

Ice cream

Whole-milk cheeses

Butter

Lard

Meats

Palm and palm kernel oil

Coconut oil

Cocoa butter

Many snack foods and fried foods are also rich in saturated fat. Check the Nutrition Facts label to find the saturated fat content of a specific food.

For many of these foods that are naturally rich in saturated fat, there are low-fat versions. Some are more palatable than others, so try a variety of them to find ones you like. Use these lower-fat versions, or use the original versions very infrequently. Also, try to choose naturally lower-fat foods. For example, have fruit and gingersnaps for dessert instead of ice cream. And eat fish and vegetarian-based dinners several times a week in place of meat.

Trans fat

Through the process of hydrogenation, trans fats are made. This process takes a vegetable oil, which is naturally high in unsaturated fatty acids and adds hydrogen molecules to it to make it more saturated and more solid. Depending on how many hydrogens are added, the result of this process can be a hydrogenated oil or a solid margarine. These products do not contain cholesterol, as butter does; any food that comes from a plant does not contain cholesterol.

Hydrogenated oils are used to make many processed snack foods.

Foods rich in trans fat include:

Margarine

Crackers

Cakes

French fries

Fried onion rings

Donuts

Check the trans fats listed on the Nutrition Facts food label. You can also look at the ingredient list. If "hydrogenated oil" or "partially hydrogenated oil" is listed, that means the food contains trans fat.

According to the American Heart Association, hydrogenated fats in margarine and other fats are acceptable if the product contains liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon.

Butter vs. margarine

Since both the saturated fat in butter and the trans fat in margarine can raise blood cholesterol levels, which is the best one to eat? There is no definitive answer to this question. When choosing your spread, consider the following:

The softer the better:

Whipped butter has less saturated fat than stick butter

Liquid and soft tub margarine contain little saturated fat or trans fat

Whichever you choose, limit the amount you use.

When cooking and baking, substitute an unsaturated oil (see below) for butter or margarine.

Unsaturated fat

You can feel good about eating this type of fat! However, unsaturated fats still deliver as many calories as the saturated varieties, so don't go overboard.

Foods rich in polyunsaturated fats include:

Certain oils:

Safflower

Sesame

Soy

Corn

Sunflower-seed

Nuts

Seeds

Foods rich in monounsaturated fats include:

Certain oils:

Olive

Canola

Peanut

Avocados

It's easy to work these foods into your diet:

Combine nuts, seeds, dry cereal, and dried fruit for a snack mix.

Use mashed avocado as a sandwich or bagel spread.

In sesame oil, saute vegetables, tofu, and peanuts.

Bake pecans or walnuts into breads, pancakes, and muffins.

Use an oil sprayer for your cooking oils; spray meats and vegetables and sprinkle with herbs before cooking.

Coat salmon or tuna steaks in sesame oil and sesame seeds before broiling.

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