May 4th, 2015

Spotlight on Healthy Fats

Did you know that some fats are healthier than others? Our bodies need some fat for good health and to help us absorb certain vitamins. Canada’s Food Guide recommends including a small amount of healthy unsaturated fat in your diet every day (2 to 3 tablespoons or 30 to 45 ml). This could include soft, non-hydrogenated margarines as well as vegetable oils like canola, olive and soybean used in cooking or salad dressings. Nuts, seeds and avocado are also great sources of healthy fats to include in small amounts every day. Try sliced avocado on a sandwich or sunflower seeds in a salad or rice dish. However, we should limit sources of saturated and trans fat, like butter, hard margarine, lard, shortening, high fat meats and processed foods. Consuming too much saturated and trans fat may increase our risk of developing heart disease. Keep the focus on healthy fats!

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