Health and Nutrition: All About Fats

- [Narrator] Did you know that not all fats are created equal?

In this video, we are going to be talking about all the different types of fats.

First, we will go over the three main types of fats and then we'll talk about some ways to help make sure you get more good fats and less bad fats.

The first type of fat we are going to talk about are saturated fats.

Saturated fats are found in animal products like fatty meats and high fat dairy.

Saturated fats are also found in processed snack foods.

Saturated fats are considered bad fats as they can increase risk of cardiovascular disease therefore they should be limited by choosing lean meats and low fat dairy.

The next type of fat we are going to talk about are unsaturated fats.

Unsaturated fats are good fats and there are two main types, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.

Unsaturated fats are found in things like plant based oils, peanuts, tree nuts, avocados and fatty fish.

Fatty fish like tuna, salmon and mackerel have special unsaturated fats called omega-3 fatty acids.

These fatty acids can not be produced in the body and are great for helping to reduce heart disease, improve joint health and improve brain health.

The last type of fat we are going to talk about are trans fats.

Trans fats are produced during a process called hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation is when vegetable oil is made into more of a solid.

Trans fats are bad fats and unlike saturated fats which should just be limited, trans fats should be avoided altogether.

This is because they can increases LDL or bad cholesterol and decrease HDL or good cholesterol.

Trans fats are found in things like fast foods, frozen baked goods, vegetable shortening and stick margarine.

Now let's go over some ways to help make sure you get more good fats and less bad fats.

A good rule of thumb when choosing meat and poultry is to remember that more legs on the animal mean more saturated fat.

For example, a chicken or a turkey which has two legs typically has less saturated fat than a lamb or a cow which has four legs.

It's also a good idea to choose leaner cuts of meat and leaner ground meats.

This will ensure that the meat you're consuming has less saturated fat.

Another good thing to consider is to use cooking oils high in unsaturated fats rather than butter or lard.

Cooking oils high in unsaturated fats are things like olive oil, canola oil or peanut oil.

A good practice is also to try to regularly consume foods high in unsaturated fat.

These are things like nuts, seeds, nut butters and peanuts.

In addition, it's a good idea to try and eat fish high in omega-3 fatty acids on a regular basis.

These are fish like salmon, tuna or mackerel and lastly, try to avoid the foods discussed earlier that contain trans fats.

These are things like fast foods, frozen baked goods or some processed foods.