Fats

Unsaturated fats

Unsaturated fats are the healthiest type of fat.

• You want most of the fats you eat to be unsaturated (say: uhn-SACH-uh-ray-tid) fats.
• Unsaturated fats are found in many oils, such as olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, corn oil, and safflower oil. They are also found in plant foods, like avocados and nuts, and in fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, albacore tuna, trout, and mackerel.
• Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 fatty acids) are a type of unsaturated fat that may boost heart health. You can get them from fatty fish (see previous bullet for examples) and from some plant foods, such as canola oil, soybean oil, walnuts, and flaxseed. You also can read the ingredients listed on the food package.
• If you want to know whether a food has unsaturated fats, look at the Nutrition Facts label on the package. They may be listed as monounsaturated (say: mon-noh-uhn-SACH-uh-ray-tid) or polyunsaturated (say: pol-ee-uhn-SACH-uh-ray-tid) fats.

Saturated fats

Saturated fats are often in fats that are solid when at room temperature, like butter. They are a type of fat you should eat in only small amounts.

• Experts suggest you get less than 10% of your calories from saturated fats. That's not a lot, because small amounts of fat have a lot of calories. Look at the Nutrition Facts label to see the amounts of saturated fats in foods.
• Saturated fats are found in red meats, such as beef, pork, and lamb. They also are in animal products, such as butter and ice cream as well as whole-fat yogurt, cheese, and milk (but not fat-free dairy products because the fat has been removed). Watch out for them in foods like pizza, cakes, cookies, and hot dogs.
• Saturated fats are also in palm and coconut oils. These oils are often used in packaged cakes, cookies, and crackers.

Trans fats

Trans fats are often found in fats that are solid at room temperature, like butter. They are a type of fat you should limit.

• Experts say to eat as little trans fat as possible. The nutrition label on the back of food packages lists the amount of trans fat.
• Trans fats often are in margarine, microwave popcorn, and in packaged cakes, cookies, and crackers. They also are in fried foods, such as doughnuts and fried chicken.
• Trans fats are in some foods naturally but in very small amounts. Sometimes they are added to foods. When they are added, they may appear in the ingredients list as "hydrogenated" (say: heye-DROJ-uh-nay-tid) or "partially hydrogenated" oils.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a type of food that's similar to fat and that you should limit.

• Too much cholesterol can lead to health problems, such as heart disease.
• It's a good idea to eat as little cholesterol as possible. You might aim for 100 to 300 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol each day. A steak usually has more than 200 mg of cholesterol, and a medium egg has around 150 mg. The nutrition label on the back of a food package lists the amount of cholesterol in it.
• Some ways to cut back on cholesterol include eating fewer products that come from animals such as meat and ice cream.