GOOD FATS VS. BAD FATS
Dear Parents,
The Healthy Habits Program theme for the month of February is. . .
Eat More Healthy Fats
Fats are an essential part of your child’s diet. It is important to remember that not all
fats are bad. Fat is essential to growth and development as well as for fueling the
body. In addition to this, the body needs fat in order to build nerve tissue and
hormones, and to insulate the nervous system tissues and vital organs.
There are three categories of fats; unsaturated fat, saturated fats, and trans
fats. Unsaturated fats are made up of monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats,
and omega-3 fatty acids. These fats are most often found in plant foods and fish.
These are the goods fats that you want to consume the most of.
Next, you have the saturated fats.
fats These are found in meat and other animal
produces including butter, cheese, milk, etc. Eating too much saturated fat will have an
adverse affect on health overtime. Too much can increase LDL (or bad) cholesterol
levels, and increase risk of heart disease.
Saving the worst for last, are trans fats.
fats Trans fats are most often found in
margarine, commercial snack foods, and baked goods. They are manmade fats created
from hydrogenated vegetable oils. Too much trans fat can raise cholesterol levels and
increase risk of heart disease. Trans fats must be put on food labels by food
manufacturers, and they may also be under the name of partially hydrogenated oils.
Eat More Healthy Fats. . .
General Guidelines
Don’t go non-fat, go good fat
Try to eliminate trans fats from your diet
• Check food labels
• Limit fast food
Limit intake of saturated fats
• Cut back on red meat and full-fat dairy
Eat omega-3 every day
• Good sources include: fish, nuts,
ground flax seeds, canola oil
•
How much fat is too much?
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Depends on weight, age, lifestyle, state of
health
•Keep total fat intake to 20-35% of calories
•Limit saturated fat to less than 10% of your
calories (200 for a 2,000 calorie diet)
•Limit trans fats to 1% of calories (2g per day
for 2,000 calorie diet)
•
•
Sources of Saturated Fat
Healthier Options
Butter
Olive oil
Cheese
Low or reduced fat cheese
Red Meat
White meat chicken or turkey
Cream
Low-fat milk or fat-free creamer
Eggs
Egg whites, egg substitute or tofu
Whole Milk
Skim or 1% milk
Sour Cream
Plain, non-fat yogurt or Greek yogurt
Be a Trans Fat Detective
•
•
•
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Read labels when shopping
• Look for “partially hydrogenated oil”
• Even if food claims to be trans fat
free, this ingredient may be suspect
With margarine choose soft-tub versions
• Make sure it has zero grams of trans
fat and no partially hydrogenated oil
When eating out:
• Skip fried foods, biscuits, and other
baked goods
• Unless you know the restaurant
has eliminated all trans fat
Avoid fast food:
• Most states have no labeling
regulations for fast food
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Super Fats
for the Brain and Heart
•
•
This is a type of polyunsaturated fat
Research shows that they can:
• Prevent and reduce memory loss
and dementia
• Reduce risk of heart disease, stroke
and cancer
• Ease arthritis, joint pain, and
inflammatory skin conditions
• Support healthy pregnancy
• Help to battle fatigue
• Sharpen memory
• Balance mood