As a Matter of Fat: Stay Away From Saturated and Trans Fats

Excerpt From Enjoy Food, Lose Weight, & Gain Vitality E-Book

As a Matter of Fat

Eat Unsaturated, And Avoid Saturated, and Trans Fats

Like carbohydrates, not all fats are the enemy. The body requires a definite amount of certain types of fats to store for protection. These are your unsaturated fats. Fish such as salmon are good sources of some essential fatty acids, which must be obtained from food, since they cannot be made by the body. Vegetarians or vegans can get these nutrients from foods such as chia seeds, flaxseeds, or walnuts.

Saturated and trans fats are the ones to stay away from as much as possible. These have been linked to heart disease and artery clogging, and are usually in high-cholesterol foods such as cream cheese and bacon.

Spying these different fats is easy, thanks to federal regulations. Just look on the nutrition label, which shows the amount of each kind. The American Heart Association recommends that calories from total fat should equal 30% or less of the total calories. For example, if a bag of chips has 100 calories per serving, and the total fat calories equal 40 per serving, then you’re getting 40% of those calories from fat. The calories from saturated and trans fat should be as few as possible.

For more dietary information, order my free e-book, Enjoy Food, Lose Weight, & Gain Vitality.

Also, you can get more free helpful nutrition information at myplate.gov.