07/07/2022
Quick story - as a teenager in the 90’s I became exceptionally interested in nutrition. Nutrition is a relatively new science and 1990 is when the FDA first required food labels to be included on food packaging.
In the youth of my mind and the youth of the science I was convinced that fat made me fat, so….I stopped eating fat. Any fat. All fat. “Fat free” was the only safe option to ensure I didn’t gain weight. 🤦🏼♀️
Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot about fat in the last 30-ish years.
Fat, like protein, is a macronutrient meaning your body needs it in large quantities.
Fat allows you to store energy, cushion organs, make certain hormones, absorb fat soluble vitamins, and helps with cell membrane integrity.
There are 3 types of fats:
Trans fats - should be cut out of your diet. These are unsaturated fats that have been altered by adding hydrogen molecules through a process called hydrogenation. You can find trans fats in margarine, shortening, store bought baked goods, and fried foods. If you see trans fat on the label it should be avoided.
Saturated fats - does not have any bends in the molecule because it’s saturated in hydrogen molecules which makes them solid at room temperature and mostly found in animal sources with high fat content. Things such as high fat beef, lamb, pork and poultry with skin, lard, cream, butter, full fat cheese and dairy. It is recommended that you decrease saturated fat intake and lean towards more healthy fats, known as unsaturated fats.
Unsaturated fats - have at least one double bond causing bends in the molecule. These are harder to stack and therefore liquid at room temperature. The number of bonds allows for the naming of unsaturated fats. MONO unsaturated fats have one double while POLY unsaturated fats have multiple or many. Unsaturated fats are considered healthy fats because they can decrease your risk for heart disease. You can find unsaturated fats mostly in plant sources such as avocados, nuts and nut butters, seeds, olives, and oils (olive, canola, safflower, etc.). They can also be found in animal sources such as fatty fish including salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna and herring.