Feeling good about fat
There are so many different opinions about fat and health out there, it's hard to tell fact from fiction. Here's your guide to a guilt-free lifestyle that says you can eat fat – just make sure it's the right kind.
Fat facts
That's right, the key to enjoying a healthy life is in the kind of fat you eat. The general view of fat as all bad is an overly simple one. There are several different types of fat, most of which not only add taste and flavour to our food, but also offer real health benefits. It's an important source of energy, and an essential building block for all your cells. In fact, some fats can actually keep your heart healthy.
Why do we love fat so much?
Quite simply, fat enhances the taste of food. Most flavours are fat-soluble, so fat helps to improve its overall texture and taste. Fat makes meat products juicy and tender, softens cheese, crisps bakery foods and thickens liquid milk products. At nine calories per gram, it’s not just a highly energy-dense nutrient, it offers more than twice the calories of protein and carbohydrates – so eat your fats wisely.
The ones to watch out for
You may have heard of saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fatty acids. These categories aren’t of fats, but of fatty acids. Generally speaking:
- Fats rich in saturated and trans fatty acids are bad.
- Fats and oils rich in unsaturated fats are good.
- Vegetable oils (liquid at room temperature) and products made from them are rich sources of poly and monounsaturated fatty acids.
