How to Identify Unsaturated Fats in the Diet
Following a healthful diet seems to have gotten a lot more complicated lately. Eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean cuts of meat, poultry and low-fat dairy makes sense, but what about the nitty-gritty details about unsaturated fats?The skinny on healthy unsaturated fats? It’s an easy rule: Eat less of fats solid at room temperature and more liquid fats. And remember, all fats are high in calories, so measure your fat intake, regardless.
Instructions
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Learn what the latest health recommendations are for healthy dietary fat consumption. The Centers for Disease Control recommends adults ages 19 and older have no more than 20 to 35 percent fat in their diet.It recommends limiting the consumption of saturated fat, as overconsumption greatly increases risk for heart disease.
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Identify what saturated fats are. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and include butter, milk fat, beef and poultry fat, and cheeses.By comparison, unsaturated fats are from plants, nuts, seeds and some vegetables. Unsaturated fats are healthier for the heart as they do not clog the arteries and create risk for high blood cholesterol, hypertension and heart disease.
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Decipher the code. Unsaturated fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Omega-3 and Omega-6 are found in vegetable and fish oils and are heart protective.Polyunsaturated fats contain Omega-6 and include corn, safflower and soybean oils.Monounsaturated fats are found in avocado, nuts, all vegetable oils including canola oil, olive oil, sunflower oil and high-oleic safflower oil.Polyunsaturated fats contain Omega-3 and include fish, such as herring, salmon and trout; flaxseed; walnuts; and canola and soybean oils.Consuming any kind of unsaturated fat is recommended in place of saturated (heart-artery clogging) fats.
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Avoid or greatly reduce consumption of trans fats to reduce risk for heart disease.Trans fats are found in commercially baked cookies, pastries, pies and other baked goods. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 2005 from the CDC recommend consuming as few trans fats as possible as their consumption increases risk for heart disease.
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Determine what is better for you: butter or margarine. The CDC recommends you select the product with the lowest amount of saturated fat, 0 trans fat and the lowest amount of dietary cholesterol.All of this information is on the label.
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Make it simple: Eat fats that are liquid in small amounts. That means not frying foods or reheating any food by frying it. Use water or vegetable or chicken stock to steam vegetables, instead.Choose lean cuts of meat and poultry and eat fish frequently--that is not breaded and fried (trans fats).Favor low-fat or non-fat dairy products including milk, yogurt, cheeses and ice creams.
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Tips & Warnings
To give up butter, use fruit-only spreads such as apple butter or nut butters.
Or, simply drain nonfat yogurt in a cheesecloth overnight to make a high-protein
cheese that is like creme fraiche.
Check with your doctor or a nutritionist if you have any chronic diseases or if you are taking any prescription medications.
