Fat is an essential part of your diet, but it's important to not exceed the U.S. Department of Agriculture's recommendation for adults of 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories. Too much fat in your diet can lead to heart disease, high cholesterol and hypertension. There are different types of dietary fats found in plant and animal foods, and some are healthier than others.
Good vs. Bad Fats
There are three types of dietary fats: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Of the three types, the latter two are the healthier choices. Saturated fats are those known as solid fats and can be found in foods like pizza, butter, full-fat cheese, bacon and grain-based desserts. An especially unhealthy type of saturated fat are the trans-fatty acids created during the food refining process in some foods. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, also known as liquid fats, should make up the majority of your daily dietary fat intake and are found in most plant-based oils such as olive, canola and peanut.
Foods High in Saturated Fats
Foods rich in saturated fat should be limited to less than 10 percent of your daily fat intake. Most animal fats fall into this category, including beef, veal, pork and dairy. Certain plant fats also contain a high concentration of saturated fats, including coconut, palm and palm kernel oils. A tbsp. of butter contains about 7.3 g of saturated fats, according to the USDA. A slice of pepperoni pizza contains about 7 g of saturated fats.
Foods High in Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and can be semi-solid when refrigerated. Foods containing a high level of this type of unsaturated fat include olives, avocados, red meat whole milk and nuts. Olive oil is composed of about 75 percent monounsaturated fats, and canola oil is about 58 percent. A tbsp. of olive oil on a salad or used for cooking contains just under 10 g of monounsaturated fat.
Foods High in Polyunsaturated Fats
Polyunsaturated fats are similar to monounsaturated fats with the only exception being a slight difference in chemistry. An especially healthy type of polyunsaturated fat is omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, nuts, seeds and certain oils. A 4 oz. portion of salmon contains 1.7 g of omega-3 fatty acids. Other good food sources include walnuts at 2.6 g, flax seed oil at 6.9 g and sardine oil at 3.7 g.
Member Comments