Understanding Fat Intake

Whether you're looking to lose weight or keep your heart healthy, fat intake is one of the first areas you want to target. While some forms of fat help the body absorb vitamins A, D and E, others turn into body fat, raising your risk for high cholesterol, heart disease and stroke.

Dietary fats are classified as saturated, unsaturated or trans fats.

Saturated Fats

Examples of saturated fats include beef, lamb, pork, skin-on poultry, tallow, cream, butter, cheese, ice cream, baked goods and fried foods. Some of our favorite fast food, like pizza, burgers, tacos and sandwiches, can also be high in saturated fat.

In their Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommends keeping saturated fats to less than 10% of your daily calorie intake. For example, if you maintain a 2,000 calorie diet, saturated fats should comprise less than 200 calories per day.

These fats can raise heart disease risks and LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels. Check the Nutrition Facts label on your food to determine saturated fat numbers in your food. Consider replacing these foods with healthy alternatives, such as grilling chicken rather than frying it.

Unsaturated Fat

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered good or unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats come from plant-based oils and nuts, as well as seeds, avocados, and olives. The daily recommended value for these is 15% to 20%.

Polyunsaturated fats include oils such as corn and olive oil, fatty fish, soy milk and tofu. When eaten in moderation, these fats can help fill you up. However, it also provides omega-3 fatty acids, reduces joint inflammation and lowers blood pressure. The daily recommended value for these is 5% to 10%.

According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, monounsaturated fats like nuts and olive oil can lower heart disease risks. That risk becomes even lower if those unsaturated fats replace saturated fats and refined carbs. Good fats can also increase your energy levels, improve mood and boost brain function. The Alzheimer's & Dementia journal found that when people 58 to 98 followed a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, their cognitive function was equivalent to someone at least seven years younger.

Trans Fats

When it comes to trans fats, there's no good amount to consume. Foods like margarine, shortening, powdered coffee cream, flavored liquid coffee cream and pre-packaged baked goods can raise "bad" cholesterol and lower "good" cholesterol. In fact, these fats are so dangerous the FDA banned "artificial trans fats" in 2015. These trans fats were made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil to create a more solid ingredient, sometimes called "partially hydrogenated oils," that were added to doughnuts, pie crusts, biscuits, frozen pizza, cookies and crackers. Look at nutrition labels for this information, as some food distributed until 2021 might still contain these fats.

Knowing how much fat you should consume every day can help keep you on track. To eat more good fats every day:

• Add soy or almond milk to your morning smoothie.
• Cook with olive oil instead of butter.
• Dip apple slices or celery into peanut or almond butter.
• Nibble on walnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans and cashews in moderation.
• Serve salmon, mackerel or trout for dinner instead of chicken or pork.
• Stir-fry tofu with mushrooms and reduced-sodium soy sauce and serve with brown rice for a filling supper.

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