Sure, you’ve heard of them.
You’ve probably spotted them on nutrition labels. You may have even read up on
them. But how well do you really know the fats? Here’s your chance to get
better acquainted with the Fats family: the Bad Fats Brothers and the Better
Fats Sisters.
Like any family, the Fats share
some common traits. For example, they all give your body energy and they all
have 9 calories per gram. But some fats are better than others.
Click on the links below to
meet the Bad Fats Brothers, Sat and Trans, and the Better Fats Sisters, Mon and
Poly. Find out what they’re like and where they hang out to help you decide how
much you want them as your friends.
FACT #1:
NOT ALL FATS ARE THE
SAME.
Both Sat (short for
saturated fat) and Trans (short for trans fat)
are "bad" fats because they raise your bad cholesterol. That
means they can both increase your risk for heart disease. Mon (short for
monounsaturated fat) and Poly (short from polyunsaturated fat) are the
"better" fats because they can lower your bad cholesterol and reduce
your risk of heart disease.
FACT #2:
IT'S GOOD TO EAT LESS.
Now that you know that
saturated and trans fats
are bad, what's your best defense? Eat less of the foods they're in Go
easy on bakery goodies like doughnuts and pastries and fried foods like French
fries. And eat less fatty meat, chicken with skin, butter and full-dairy
products. You don't have to avoid these foods altogether, but make them
treats you eat only once in a while
FACT #3:
IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A
BACK-UP PLAN.
Saturated and trans fats can often be
replaced withe better alternatives, like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated
fats. For example, use tub margarine instead of traditional sick
margarine or liquid vegetable oil instead of butter. Or choose fish
instead of meat. Just don't eat too much of any fat - which brings us to
the next fact...
FACT #4:
THEY'RE CALLED 'FATS' FOR
A REASON.
All fats are equally high in calories - 9 per gram to be exact.
That's more than twice the calories of carbohydrates and proteins, which
are both 4 calories per gram. Your body needs some fat, but keep in mind
that all fats - even the better ones - have the same 9 calories per gram.
And if you consume more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight.
So it's important to eat all fats in moderation.
FACT #5:
DON'T BE FOOLED BY
'FREE'.
OK, so this is more of a
warning than a fact. But just because a label says "
trans
fat-free" doesn't mean the food is
healthy. It might still be high in the other bad fate - saturated - or
have lots of empty calories. So take a closer look before you toss it
into your caret or put it on your plate.