Are We Supposed To Eat Fat or Not?

Are We Supposed To Eat Fat or Not?
Article by | Michelle Dohrman, RD, LD, CNSC

Do you ever get confused about what a healthy diet is and what to eat?  As diet trends come and go, it can be challenging to know what we’re supposed to eat to be healthier.  Should we avoid carbs, eat high protein foods, eat a low fat diet—what IS the right diet to follow?  Fats have been vilified for many years, but is it really ok to have some in your diet, and if so, which fats are better?  Let’s break down the different types of fat into the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Unsaturated fats—these may appear on the Nutrition Facts of a product as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They are usually liquid at room temperature, but may turn solid when chilled.  Monounsaturated fats have one unsaturated carbon bond in the molecule, while polyunsaturated fats have more than one unsaturated carbon bond in the molecule.  These fats come from plant foods, like avocados and nuts.  They help fuel the body, support cell growth, promote absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K, and produce hormones.  They may also have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Monounsaturated—good fats because they help to reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides in the blood, lowering your risk of heart disease and stroke. They also raise good cholesterol (HDL) and possibly improve blood sugar control.  Oils high in monounsaturated fats are olive, canola, peanut, safflower, and sesame.  Foods high in monounsaturated fats are avocadoes, peanut butter, and some nuts and seeds, like almonds, pecans, and sesame and pumpkin seeds.

Polyunsaturated—provides essential fats that our bodies need but cannot make, such as omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.  We must get these from the food we eat.

Omega-6—may lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, increase good blood cholesterol, and may improve blood sugar control.  Oils include corn, cottonseed, peanut, soybean, and sunflower.  Foods include walnuts, tofu, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.

Omega-3—may lower triglycerides and blood pressure, raise good cholesterol, and lower your risk of certain cancers and dementia.  Oils include canola, soybeans, walnut, and flaxseed oil.  Foods include fatty fish, like salmon, tuna, anchovies, etc., walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and edamame.

Saturated Fats—solid at room temperature and generally come from animal foods like meats, dairy products, eggs, and lard, or from tropical oils, like coconut (yes, coconut oil is a bad fat), palm, and palm kernel oils.  Saturated fats are bad because they can be inflammatory and raise the bad LDL cholesterol in the blood (they also raise the good HDL cholesterol), increasing the risk of heart disease and dementia.  The American Heart Association recommends that no more than 6% of total calories for the day come from saturated fats. This means people eating 2,000 calories/day should get no more than 120 of those calories (13 grams) from saturated fats (this is equal to 2 Tbsp of butter).

Trans fats—most trans fats in our diet are man-made when hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils to make them solid, which is less expensive and extends the shelf life of the food—this process is called hydrogenation and is found in foods like shortening, stick margarine, crackers, cookies, and baked goods.  Trans fats are especially bad for heart health, because they not only raise the bad LDL cholesterol but also decrease the good HDL cholesterol in your blood, increasing the risk of heart disease, strokes, and diabetes.  It is recommended to have ZERO trans fat, but be aware that labels can say zero trans fats but still have up to 0.5 grams per serving.  Look at the ingredient list and if partially hydrogenated oil is listed, it will have some trans fat.

• Yes, you can have fat!  Fats are a necessary part of a healthy diet when healthy fats (unsaturated) are chosen more often and eaten in moderation.  They have many health benefits, taste good, and keep us full for a longer time.

• Total fat intake for the day should be 20-35% of total calories.  This means if you are eating 2,000 calories/day, limit fat to 45-80 grams/day (1 oz of meat usually has 5-7 grams of fat).

• No more than 6% of total calories for the day should come from saturated fat (13 grams/day if eating 2,000 calories).

• Limit trans fats to the lowest amount possible—goal is zero grams.

• Try replacing saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats for better heath—oil instead of butter, nuts instead of chips, peanut butter or fish instead of red meat, etc.

• Focus on the overall quality of your diet, not just grams of fat.  Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and legumes and choose leaner meats and skinless poultry when eating meat.  Try to incorporate more plant-based proteins to replace fat heavy meats.

• Limit salt, sugar, animal fat, processed foods, and alcohol as much as possible.

• Last but not least, all fats have 9 calories/gram, even healthy fats, so eating too much of any fat can make it hard to manage weight.

MICHELLE DOHRMAN, RD, LD, CNSC

Michelle has been a registered dietitian since 1990 and has worked in many areas of nutrition in the inpatient and outpatient setting. She has worked for the St. Joseph Health System at various facilities since 1999. She currently works as the dietitian for the Surgical Weight Loss program & helps to teach diabetes classes for the hospital. Michelle believes very strongly that eating good quality food influences a person’s health and quality of life and loves educating her patients about that, as well as helping them have the best life possible.