Some fat should be part of your diet. But you should make sure you’re eating good fats instead of bad fats.
Your body uses fat for energy. It builds nerve tissue and hormones and controls inflammation. Good fats help your body absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K from the foods you eat. They offer health benefits and can reduce the risk of disease.
Consuming too much fat can lead to obesity. Fat calories convert to body fat more easily than carbohydrates or proteins. They can also make you feel hungry, so you don’t know when you’re full. Bad fats increase your total cholesterol and blood pressure. They can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
The way to improve health
Everyone has different calorie needs. Your doctor can help you figure out how many daily calories you need. This will help tell you how many grams of fat you can consume. If you are overweight, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that you get less than 30% of your total daily calories from fat. This equates to 65 grams of fat for a 2,000-calorie diet.
“Bad” Fat
Saturated and trans fats are bad for you. Less than 7% of your total daily calories should come from saturated fat. Less than 1% should come from trans fats. On a 2,000-calorie daily diet, that’s less than 15 grams of saturated fat and less than 2 grams of trans fat.
saturated fat occurs naturally in some animal products. This includes meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, such as cheese, ice cream, and whole milk. Palm, coconut and other tropical oils, as well as cocoa butter, contain saturated fats.
Trans fat created when liquid oil turns into solid fat. This process is called hydrogenation. Trans fats are found in many processed foods. All food companies must list trans fats on nutrition facts labels. However, foods can have up to 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving and still display 0 grams. Check the ingredients list and look for the words “hydrogenated oil”.
You should limit saturated fat and avoid trans fat. They are commonly found in fast food, fried foods, and junk food. They can also be found in commercial desserts and baked goods. These bad fats raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. They lower your HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
“Good” Fats
Replace bad fats with good fats. Studies show that good fats can help lower your total cholesterol levels. Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for health. They can reduce the risk of heart attack and inflammation.
monounsaturated fat found in canola, olive and peanut oils. They are found in many nut oils and butters. Avocados, legumes (beans and peas) and seeds also contain these fats.
polyunsaturated fat found in vegetable oils such as corn, sunflower, and safflower oils. They are found in soybeans, legumes, grains, and nuts. Some nuts like sesame and sunflower also contain these fats.
Omega-3 fatty acids Usually found in seafood. This includes salmon, herring, sardines and mackerel. Flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, and walnuts also contain omega-3s.
Things to consider
You don’t have to eliminate all fat from your diet. However, you should limit the amount of fat you eat. There are 9 calories in every gram of fat. This is more than twice the calories in carbohydrates and protein. Each of them has 4 calories per gram.
Try to eat foods that contain unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid foods that are high in saturated and trans fats.
Other tips include:
- Avoid fast food. It almost always contains trans fats.
- Avoid fried foods.
- Limit the amount of red meat you eat. Instead, eat fish, poultry, and plant-based protein.
- Use canola oil when you bake cakes.
- Use olive oil when you are cooking. You can also use it in place of a salad dressing and spread on bread.
- Make healthier snack options. For example, eat some unsalted peanuts or edamame (soybeans) instead of chips.
- Try a portion of avocado on bread or in your salad. Nuts and garbanzo beans are also great for salads.
- Use liquid or soft margarine instead of butter. Look for margarine that is low in saturated fat and trans fat free.