Why are fats important?

Fats are an essential building block of your body, providing you with energy and giving you a feeling of satiety. They help to absorb essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin D and calcium. Fats also provide you with essential fatty acids, which can only be consumed through food because your body does not produce them.

Fats aren't all equal

There are different types of fats, or fatty acids. Each type adds certain characteristics to foods and has a different effect on the health of your body.

Saturated Fats

These fats usually cause blood cholesterol levels to rise and generally are solids at room temperature. You should try to reduce your intake of saturated fats. Sources: meat, poultry, milk products (excluding skim milk), butter, lard, coconut oil and palm oil.

Unsaturated Fats

Unsaturated fats help to lower blood cholesterol levels and are generally liquids at room temperature. There are two types of unsaturated fats: monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fat.

Monounsaturated Fats

Sources: olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, avocado and some nuts such as almonds, pecans and hazelnuts.

Polyunsaturated Fats

These unsaturated fats are a source of essential fatty acids, which your body cannot produce. Sources: fish, some nuts including walnuts and chestnuts, and most vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn and soybean oil.

Trans fatty acids

These are considered to be unsaturated fats, but trans fatty acids act like saturated fats, in that they tend to increase cholesterol levels. Trans fatty acids are created by a process called hydrogenation, where a liquid vegetable oil is changed into a solid by adding more hydrogen.
Sources: some peanut butters, some margarines, vegetable shortening and products made with vegetable shortening such as packaged foods, cookies and crackers.

Choose fats wisely

It is best to choose monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Aim for oils that are liquid at room temperature such as olive and canola oil, and choose food products such as fish, flax seeds and avocados. Trans fatty acids are two times worse than saturated fats, so it is best to minimize your intake of saturated fats and avoid hydrogenated products that contain trans fatty acids.