Fat Facts Many people think that fat is bad, but did you know that your body actually needs fat; just not as much as most people eat. Fats are important to give your body energy for cells to grow, protecting your organs and help keeping your body warm.

The major types of fats in foods are saturated fats, trans fats (the “bad” fats), monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (the better fats). Each fat has different characteristics and different effects on your health.

BAD FATS BETTER FATS Monounsaturated Saturated Fats Trans Fats Polyunsaturated Fats Fats Commonly  (Mainly from  Baked goods - pastries,  Vegetable oils –  High in Found in These animals) biscuits, muffins, olive, canola and Omega-6 Vegetable Foods beef, lamb, pork, cakes, pie crusts, peanut oils – soybean, corn and poultry with the doughnuts and cookies  Avocados safflower skin, beef fat, lard,  Fried foods – French  Many nuts and Many nuts and cream, butter, fries, fried chicken, seeds – walnuts and cheese, other seeds - almonds breaded chicken and peanuts/peanut sunflower seeds whole- or reduced- nuggets and breaded butter  High in Omega-3 fat dairy products fish (EPA and DHA) Fatty  (Some from plants)  Snack foods – fish – salmon, tuna, Palm, palm kernel popcorn, crackers. mackerel, herring and coconut oils  Traditional stick and trout  Some baked goods, margarine and snack foods and vegetable shortening fried foods

Effect on Heart  Raise LDL “bad”  Raise LDL “bad”  Reduce LDL “bad”  Reduce LDL “bad” Health cholesterol level cholesterol cholesterol cholesterol  Foods high in  May lower HDL “good”  May lower risk of  May lower risk of saturated fats may cholesterol heart disease heart disease also be high in  Increase risk of heart cholesterol disease  Increase risk of heart disease Characteristics  Carbon atoms  Created in an  Have one double-  More than one saturated with industrial process by bonded double-bonded hydrogen atoms adding hydrogen to (unsaturated) (unsaturated)  Solid at room liquid vegetable oils carbon carbon temperature  Solid at room  Liquid at room  Liquid at room temperature temperature, but temperature and  Contained in “Partially turn solid when when chilled hydrogenated oils” chilled Daily Limit  Less than 7% of  Less than 1% of total  Total fats should be  Total fats should be total daily calories daily calories about 25% to 35% about 25% to 35% of  If you eat 2,000  If you eat 2,000 of total daily total daily calories calories a day, less calories a day, less calories  Eat foods with than 140 calories than 20 calories (2  Eat foods with monounsaturated or (15 grams) can be grams) can be from monounsaturated polyunsaturated fats from saturated fats trans fats or polyunsaturated instead of saturated fats instead of or trans fats saturated or trans fats

For more information on heart-healthy eating visit www.Heart.org/Nutrition or contact the American Heart Association at [email protected] or (800) 242-8721.