1. Fat You Can See
Visible fats are the kind you can see with your eyes. This includes butter, oils and fat on meat. Chicken has a layer of visible fat located just beneath the skin. This fat is visible when cleaning or cutting up a chicken before cooking. Cream is a visible fat because it is the fat that rises to the surface in milk. Consider ice cream a visible fat since its main ingredient is cream.
2. Good Fat Bad Fat
Even though it's hard to believe, everyone needs some fat in their diet for overall good health. Fat provides more than twice the energy we get from proteins and carbohydrates and carries vital nutrients to the body for cell health. Visible fat also adds flavor to the foods we eat. That's why it's really obvious when there isn't any at all. Some visible fats contain heart healthy Omega 3's not available in other sources. Fat also works to help us feel full and gives foods their pleasing aroma.
3. The Great Disappearing Act
Visible fat becomes invisible when used in cooking. Butter, shortening and cooking oils disappear in recipes like cakes and cookies. That's why it's important to limit your intake of visible fat to help counteract all the invisible fat you eat. It's easier to be aware of lean meats, not adding butter to bread and salad dressing on the side than it is to count all the invisible fats inside what we're eating. Food labels help with this, but with all the naturally occurring invisible fat in our diets, we already have more than what we need.
4. Hiding in the Kitchen
Sometimes visible fats are hanging around right in front of your eyes and you don't see them. Fried foods are loaded with visible fats on and just beneath the surface. Fried chicken with the skin on literally absorbs visible fat from cooking like a sponge. So, even though chicken is a healthy lean meat, the way it's cooked in the kitchen makes all the difference. Try removing the skin before frying to cut down on visible fat. Broiling, baking or roasting is a healthier cooking option for most meats.
5. Saturated Vs. Unsaturated
The difference between saturated and unsaturated fat is simple. Saturated fat turns to a solid at room temperature and unsaturated fat doesn't. Saturated fats are the main culprits in high cholesterol. Cooking oil is an example of unsaturated fat, and butter is saturated. Both are visible, but unsaturated fats are a healthier option. If you're trying to make healthier visible fat choices, choose olive oil instead of butter for bread toppings, and vegetable oil instead of shortening for frying. Use natural products over hydrogenated ones whenever possible. Partially hydrogenated fats are the ones found in peanut butter and margarine, natural peanut butter and regular butter are in their natural state.
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