Should we be eating fat? Or, should we be avoiding it at all costs? Read on to learn about good fat vs bad fat in this guide.
In America, 40% of the population is obese. With the numbers being what they are, we must find the culprit.
Fat has been to blame for the problem with obesity. What most people forget is that there are good fats and bad fats.
In this article, we’ll discuss good fat vs bad fat. Let’s get started.
Good Fat
Most of us have tried to avoid eating fats because we fear it will make us gain weight. Since we think fats are bad for us, we do anything we can to avoid them such as getting low-fat foods.
Well, you’ll be happy to learn there are good fats your body needs to function.
Fat is not an evil thing. In fact, just like protein and carbohydrates, your body also functions on fat.
Dietary Fats
Dietary fat is a type of fat that your body needs as a source of energy. Some people confuse dietary fat with body fat, which is the one your body stores.
Cholesterol and dietary are closely related. Your body needs good dietary fat and it also needs good cholesterol.
Monosaturated Fats and Polyunsaturated Fats
Polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats are the “good fats” you want to consume to keep your body healthy.
Getting enough of these fats can help lower the risk of stroke and heart disease, lowers your blood pressure, and prevents atherosclerosis.
Monounsaturated fats include:
- Olives
- Peanut butter
- Nuts
- Avocados & avocado oil
- Oils such as olive, canola, peanut, and sesame
Polyunsaturated fats include:
- Walnuts
- Flaxseed
- Seeds such as sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin
- Fatty fish
- Soybean oil
- Tofu
- Soymilk
Eating healthy fats in moderation will fuel your body with energy and it won’t tip the scales. Check out Kegenix for a list of healthy oils and fats.
Bad Fats
Bad fats have the reputation for raising cholesterol, put people at risk for cardiovascular diseases, and expand the waistline.
Trans Fat
Trans fat is categorized as the worst type of fat because it raises bad cholesterol levels lowers the good ones.
It might be difficult to avoid bad fats since dairy and meat contain small amounts.
Unfortunately trans fat hides in many of the most delicious foods out there:
- Baked goods such as cookies, muffins, cakes, doughnuts, pizza, etc.
- Snacks such as chips, microwave popcorn, crackers, etc.
- Fried foods: french fries, fried chicken, nuggets, and fish
- Vegetable oil
Saturated Fats
Saturated fat is a lot less harmful than trans fat but it can still do some harm. While it won’t decrease your good cholesterol, it will increase the bad one.
You don’t have to completely cut off saturated fat, but you should eat it with moderation.
You can find saturated fat in:
- Lard
- Chicken skin
- Red meat
- Butter
- Ice cream
- Coconut oil
Try to only eat saturated fats every once in a while.
Good Fat vs Bad Fat: The Bottom Line
There you have it, good fat vs bad fat. Now that you know the difference you’ll be able to make better fat choices.
If you want to learn how to make great recipes and learn about nutrition, check out this section of the blog!
