Ask a Dietitian

As seen on BCTV February 16/99

We’ve heard so much about which fats should be cut out of the diet. But are you also omitting the good fats? Here’s an updated scoop on which ones are good and which ones aren’t so great.

There are 3 main categories of GOOD fats:

(1) Monounsaturated Fats

• includes olive oil, canola oil, peanuts and avocados
• should make up most of the fat in the diet
• can help reduce total cholesterol and bad cholesterol “LDL” while maybe raising good cholesterol “HDL”
• overdoing it on these foods can raise calorie intake too much – therefore, watch the portions(2) Omega-3 Fats
• found in fatty fish, flaxseed, soy oils and nuts
• aim to eat more fish and flaxseed and use liquid oils in place of solid fats like butter and margarine
• these fats can help reduce triglyceride levels and total cholesterol but in way excess can reduce blood clotting ability(3) Omega-6 Fats
• these are found in vegetable oils, seeds and nuts
• limit to 10% of total calories per day
• may reduce LDL and total cholesterol however in excess these fats can reduce the good HDL cholesterol as wellThe Not So Good Fats

  (1) Saturated

• found in fatty meat, dairy products, coconut and palm oils
• limit to 10% or less of total calories
• these fats can clog arteries – with the exception of stearic acid, one of the fats found in beef and chocolate, which actually doesn’t raise cholesterol(2) Trans Fat
• the worst of all fats, trans fats are found in processed foods, cookies, crackers and margarines that contain hydrogenated fat or vegetable oil shortening. You can find the exact amount of trans fat in a food by adding up the fats on the food label. If the number you get doesn’t equal the total amount of fat in the food, the remainder is trans fat.
• this fat should be limited as much as possible as it rasies blood cholesterol and heart disease risk

Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on BCTV’s Noon News Hour!