Fat is a necessary part of our diet - but, How much is too much?
There is no magic number when it comes to fats, but let's get some information on fats and fats in our diet.
Each gram of fat is 9 calories - no matter what kind of fat it is.
We get fats in our diets and our bodies makes it's own fat from extra calories.
Limiting our consumption of fats to 20% - 35% is recommended by the Mayo Clinic for a healthy diet.
GOOD
FATS
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BAD
FATS
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MONOUNSATURATED
FAT & POLYUNSATURATED FAT
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SATURATED
FAT & TRANSFAT
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Fatty fish such as
salmon, herring, sardines and trout
Flax seed,
walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, pecans, pistachios
Canola oil, corn
oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, peanut
oil
Sunflower seeds,
pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds
Avocado
Peanut butter,
almond butter
liquid or tub
(transfat-free) margarine
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Beef, pork, lamb,
poultry skin, dark meat from poultry
Cheese, butter,
lard, whole milk, 2% milk, cream cheese, cream, sour cream, ice cream
Coconut oil, palm
oil, palm kernel oil, cocoa butter, stick margarine, some tub margarines
Fried foods
Most commercially
prepared foods contain partially hydrogenated oils including crackers,
cookies, pastries, microwave popcorn, snack food
These fats can
occur naturally but are mostly foods from animals.
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*A note about nutritional labels on foods - if there is less that 0.5 grams, the law allows the manufacturers to say that there are 0 grams. This means that if you eat multiple servings or many foods that contain 0.5, you may exceed your limits without knowing it.