Fats to look for, limit, and avoid

There are fats that you want to limit, fats you want to avoid altogether, and healthier fats to look for to include in your diet in small amounts.

Fats to Limit:
Saturated fats come from animal products and you want to limit these.
Animal sources offer some of the highest quality protein and even the leanest varieties will have some fat.

Stick with extra lean varieties of meat, low- or non-fat dairy, and just one egg yolk a day, for example, so that you get high-quality protein, but not too much saturated fat and too many calories.

Fats to totally avoid:
Hydrogenated, also called "trans fats," have been in the news a lot. These are fats that have been chemically altered in such a way that your body cannot use them properly, so they're terrible for you.

They are found in solid margarines and many commercially baked goods, including cookies, crackers, doughnuts and pastries, chips and other snack foods, and many deep-fried foods. Since these are mostly all processed carbs as well, and contain the unhealthiest kinds of fat with no benefit, we recommend avoiding such foods as much as possible.

The fats to look for (in moderation):
So for the fat your body needs, look for unsaturated fats, which contain essential fatty acids (EFAs). Seeds, nuts, nut butters, olives, olive and flaxseed oil as well as avocados all work well. Some kinds of coldwater fish, like salmon and anchovies, also contain unsaturated fats. In moderation, they're a great choice too.

Remember, it's good to have small portions of these types of foods each day, but because they're so high in calories - 9 calories per gram - make sure that you eat only small amounts.

For example, a quarter cup of nuts and some fruit or raw veggies make a good snack. Protein Freeze is made with a little peanut butter, so you get lots of high-quality protein and a little healthy fat as well. Or try some sunflower seeds or a few olives or a couple of avocados slices on your salad as a tasty way to add healthy fat to your diet.

Key points to remember:

Limit saturated fats by choosing extra lean and lowfat animal products.

Try to totally avoid hydrogenated fats (also called "trans fats"), those that have been chemically altered in commercially baked goods, margarine, and other processed foods.

Choose unsaturated fats in small amounts, such as seeds, nuts, nut butters, olives, olive and flaxseed oil, and avocados.

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Megan