Fat in our food has long been feared. You may remember the 90s, when snack shelves were lined with fat-free and low-fat cookies, cakes, and more. Today we know that dietary fat—both saturated and unsaturated—have a place in a balanced diet.
To clear up the confusion, we’re diving into all things fat in this piece. From what types there are, to which types you need (and how much), we’ve got you covered in this article.
What Are Fats?
Fats are one of the macronutrients your body needs to function at its prime (1). Fat provides energy for the body and promotes cell growth, but also protects organs, helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins, as well as stabilizes blood pressure and cholesterol (1,2).
When you eat dietary fat, it becomes broken down into fatty acids. There are two main types of fatty acids in the diet (2):
- Saturated fatty acids
- Unsaturated fatty acids
The type of food you’re eating, and what type of fat is in that food, will dictate if those fatty acids work for you, against you, or with you. And, to the surprise of many, most foods actually contain some of each, though the quantities vary depending on the food you’re eating. Let’s explore each of these a bit more in depth.
What are Saturated Fatty Acids?
Saturated fatty acids are often referred to as “the bad fat” (2). Increased consumption of these fats have been linked with negative health effects, like increasing blood cholesterol and raising one’s risk for heart disease, heart attacks and stroke (3).
And, unfortunately, despite these effects, most Americans are still eating more than they should of this nutrient (4). According to MyFitnessPal registered dietitian Brookell White, MS, RD, “Saturated fatty acids are a nutrient that’s often overconsumed in the United States and can raise cholesterol.”
Why Saturated Fats Can Be a Concern
Health authorities actually have placed recommendations on the amount you should consume per day of saturated fat to decrease your risk of these conditions (which we’ll get to shortly.) But, the main reason saturated fats have the effects on health they do is because of their chemical structure.
For example, saturated fats have single bonds between carbon molecules that are completely saturated with hydrogen (3). This structure makes them solid at room temperature (3). When you consume foods high in saturated fats, some blood fats (also known as blood lipids, which are crucial measures of heart health), like low-density lipoproteins (LDL), may become elevated (5). Over time, excessive intakes of saturated fat may continue to increase blood lipids, taking a toll on heart health.
Knowledge is power, so don’t worry, we’re here to help you out.
Here are some of the top sources of saturated fats to monitor in your diet (6):
- Animal products, such as red meats and cured meats
- Dairy foods, including butter, whole milk, and cheeses
- Oils, such as coconut and palm kernel oil
- Combination foods, like pepperoni pizza, creamy pasta dishes, and sandwiches
- Desserts and sweet snacks, like pastries and cookies
About the Experts
Brookell White, MS, RD is a Food Data Curator at MyFitnessPal. She earned her bachelors and masters at San Diego State University and completed her dietetic internship at Sodexo. Her areas of focus include metabolism, gut health, obesity and weight management.
Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN, CPT is a nutrition expert, four-time cookbook author and early nutrition pioneer in the field of fertility nutrition. She is the president and owner of the USA-based nutrition communications and consulting firm Shaw Simple Swaps.
What are Unsaturated Fatty Acids?
Known as “the good fat”, unsaturated fatty acids receive praise for their beneficial effects on health. In fact, consumption of some types of unsaturated fatty acids has shown to improve heart health and memory, and lower one’s risk for developing other conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and more (7).
Unsaturated fatty acids consist of two groups:
- Monounsaturated Fats (MUFA)
- These fatty acids contain a single unsaturated carbon double-bond, making them liquid at room temperature (8).
- The most common kind of MUFA in the diet are omega-9 fatty acids (9). These aren’t essential though, meaning your body can make them on its own, too!
- Common dietary sources of MUFAs include (8):
- Plant-Based Oils: olive, peanut, canola, sesame
- Food Sources: avocados, nut butters, and nuts and seeds
- Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFA)
- Omega-3s:
- Foods: fatty fish, like tuna, salmon, mackerel, walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, soybeans
- Oils: canola, soybean, flaxseed
- Omega-6s:
- Foods: almonds, peanuts, walnuts, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, eggs
- Oils: safflower oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil
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Differences Between Saturated and Unsaturated Fats
As a dietitian, I really dislike labeling foods as good or bad since all foods can have a place in a balanced diet when moderation is practiced. With that said, it’s true that there is a reason saturated fat continues to get slapped with the “bad” connotation while unsaturated fats get the glory that comes with being the “golden child” when it comes to total health.
For instance, MyFitnessPal dietitian Brookell White shares, “Monounsaturated fats specifically can help maintain high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the good kind of blood fat) and decrease LDL cholesterol, while polyunsaturated fatty acid can help lower your LDL” (8,10,11).
The American Heart Association (AHA) encourages consumers to swap out saturated fats for unsaturated options due to their role on these blood lipid markers (10). And, White agrees, writing, “Replacing saturated fatty acids with these can help reduce cholesterol and your risk of heart disease.”
Dietary Recommendations
Here are the most recent total fat and saturated fat recommendations for Americans.
- Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) (12)
The AMDR for dietary fat is set at 20 to 35% of daily calories.
For someone following a 2000-calorie diet, that would mean approximately 400 to 700 calories would come from fat, or roughly 44 to 77 grams of fat.
- 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) (13)
The DGA’s recommend no more than 10% of daily calories coming from saturated fat sources.
For someone following a 2000-calorie diet, this would mean approximately 200 calories coming from saturated fats, or roughly 22 grams total per day.
- American Heart Association (AHA)
Total fat intakes should be approximately 30 to 35% of calories, with no more than 6% of calories coming from saturated fats (14).
For someone following a 2000-calorie diet, this would be about 120 calories total, or 13 grams of saturated fat per day (3).
Dietitians, myself included, recommend considering your family history and genetics as you figure out whether it’s best to be more strict with your saturated fat intakes at 6% of daily calories or if you have a little more flexibility to near that 10%. For example, if you have a history of high cholesterol, heart disease, or other complications that run in your family, your personalized recommendations will look different than someone with no genetic history of heart disease.
Working with a registered dietitian nutritionist is one of the best ways to determine what your needs are to achieve your personal health goals.
Tips for Choosing Healthier Fat Options
“When in doubt, portion it out.”
This is the motto I use with my clients to encourage moderation, not deprivation, even when it comes to those healthier fat options. For example, nuts are a great source of unsaturated fats. While they are a heart-healthy food, they are also calorically dense, meaning you can easily go overboard on your daily energy needs if you’re not cautious of your portion size.
Embrace cooking at home.
Opting for home cooking, including roasting, baking, air-frying, and even sauteing with unsaturated oils, like canola or olive oil, are better-for-you cooking methods that can help you achieve your weight-loss goals while keeping your fat intakes in check. Using unsaturated fat sources, like extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil to finish a dish is a great way to reap the benefits these fats offer.
Enlist the help of simple swaps in the kitchen.
Eat less saturated and more unsaturated fats by experimenting with the following swaps in your recipes:
- Replace beef with fatty fish
- Replace cows milk with soy milk
- Top bowls and casseroles with nuts and seeds over cheese
- Use avocado over sour cream
- Use olive, avocado, or canola oil instead of butter
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is it important to know the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?
Diets high in saturated fats have been linked with negative health consequences, such as cardiovascular disease, high blood lipids, and increased risk of heart attacks and stroke (3). On the flipside, diets rich in unsaturated fats can help promote heart health (7). Knowing the difference between the two is crucial to balance your diet focusing on foods with the best fat sources.
How to remember saturated versus unsaturated fats?
Understanding which fat is solid at room temperature is the best way to differentiate between the two kinds of fats. Fats that are solid at room temperature are hard, like butter or the fat visible on a cut of red meat. Since both saturated and solid both start with “s”, it’s an easy alliteration to remember that saturated = solid, and you will want to limit your intakes of it (3).
How much fat should I consume daily?
On average, 20 to 35% of daily calories should come from dietary fats (12). For someone following a 2000-calorie diet, that would mean approximately 400- to 700-calories would come from fat, or roughly 44 to 77 grams of fat.
What foods are rich in healthy fats?
Foods that contain the highest amounts of unsaturated fats include avocados, fatty fish, nuts, olives, seeds, and vegetable oils (15):
The Bottom Line
Dietary fat plays a crucial role in the body, which is why it’s recommended that 20 to 35% of your daily calories come from this food group (12). However, the type of fat you eat matters, with unsaturated fats demonstrating positive health benefits, such as an improvement in heart health, and saturated fats having the opposite effect (3,7). Logging your food in MyFitnessPal can help you understand how much and what kind of fats you’re eating.
Limiting desserts, snack foods, whole-milk dairy and red meats in your diet will help decrease your dietary intake of saturated fat. Increasing the amount of avocados, nuts, and seeds in your diet will help you increase your intake of unsaturated fat, offering those good-for-you health benefits. To help make choosing better-for-you fats easier, consider trying one of MyFitnessPal’s plans, like the Eat Green Plan, that prioritizes recipes and foods low in saturated fats.
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