Fats can be confusing. There are good fats and bad fats, and it's not always easy to remember which one is which or how much is okay to consume. Here's a look at some of the questions readers have asked me about fats and oils.
1. Should I Reduce My Saturated Fat Intake?
Penelope Berger
The answer depends upon how much saturated fat you're currently eating and what you'd eat instead. Saturated fats are found in meat, dairy products, eggs and tropical oils. The current recommendation is to cut back on those foods or choose versions low in fat. The key is to keep your saturated fat intake at the recommended level and replace excess saturated fats with healthier mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Read the Full Answer
2. What Are the Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids?
Annabelle Breakey/Getty Images
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in seafood (especially oily, cold-water, ocean fish), flax seeds, walnuts, canola oil and soy. They're called essential fatty acids because your body can't create them, so you have to get them from your diet. The current recommendation is to choose more foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids to reap the benefits. Read the Full Answer
3. How Can Foods with Partially Hydrogenated Oil Be Trans Fat Free?
Anastasia Pelikh
Most trans fats are not found in nature (except for very small amounts in milk and meat). They're created by a process called hydrogenation for use in processed foods. Current recommendations are to avoid trans fats; the amount must be listed on the food labels. However, foods with small amounts can have food labels that state the product has 0 grams trans fats. Read the Full Answer
4. Which Is Better: Butter or Margarine?
Ronaldo Taveira
Margarine became a popular replacement for butter when concerns about saturated fat intake surfaced in the 1970s. Since margarine is basically butter-flavored vegetable oil, it has to be processed in some way to make it semi-solid so it's smooth and spreadable. Some types of margarine are created by partial hydrogenation, so they're high in trans-fats. But not all are. Read the Full Answer
5. Is Canola Oil Safe for Eating?
Brad Harrison
Canola oil is useful as a cooking oil because it has a light flavor. Rumors about the safety of canola oil come and go because it's related to a type of plant called rapeseed, which contains an oil that may be toxic in large amounts. Canola plants have been bred to be low in erucic acid, so canola oil is not toxic. Read the Full Answer
6. How Much Fat Do I Need?
P. Kruger/iStockphoto
You need some fat in your diet. It's used as a form of energy for your daily activities and it helps you absorb vitamins A, D, E and K (the fat-soluble vitamins). But fat is higher in calories than carbohydrates or protein, so you may need to be careful not to eat too much. Currently the U.S. Department of Agriculture's recommendation is to get approximately 30 percent to 35 percent of your calories from fat. Read the Full Answer (and Learn a Bit About Protein, Too)
7. Why Don't Total Fats and Types of Fats Add Up?
Joshua Hodge Photography
Here's a question about websites that give you a breakdown of the nutrition information of almost any type of food you can imagine. Not only will you find the total amount of fat per serving, you'll also find the amounts of the different types of fat (great information if you want to cut down on saturated fats and increase those omega-3 fats). But why does the total fat not always equal the sum of the individual fats? Probably because they didn't account for each and every type of fat. Read the Full Answer
