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Facts about Fat


March 28, 2022 | Jody Gatewood

Healthy Fats

As with most nutrition topics, there is a lot of information shared about fat. Sometimes people say fat is bad for you while other people say it’s good for you. This can be confusing. Here are a few things to keep in mind about fat.

  • Fat in food provides flavor and texture.
  • Fat helps the body absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K.
  • Total fat on the Nutrition Facts label includes the saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat that are in the food.
  • Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats help reduce cholesterol levels which can lower risk of heart disease and stroke. These fats can be found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, nut butters, avocados, olives, salmon, and tuna.
  • Saturated and trans fats raise cholesterol levels which are associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Some foods that are high in saturated and trans fat are coconut and palm oil, butter, cheese, whole milk, and processed meats and poultry products.
  • Choose foods more often that have a percent Daily Value of 5% or less for saturated fat and eat as little trans fat as possible.

Check out our video Fat on the Food Label for more facts about fat. And remember, one food isn’t all good or all bad. What’s important is eating a variety of foods that best meet your nutrition needs.

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Have you heard people say things like ‘good’ fat and ‘bad’ fat before? Are you curious what it means? Check out the blog today where Jody shares facts about fat.

Choose foods more often that have a percent Daily Value of 5% or less for saturated fat and eat as little trans fat as possible. And remember, one food isn’t all good or all bad. What’s important is eating a variety of foods that best meet your nutritional needs.

Learn how to use the Nutrition Facts label to determine the amount of fat in an item with our Fat on the Food Label video.


Jody Gatewood

Jody Gatewood is a Registered Dietitian who enjoys spending time in the kitchen baking and preparing meals for her family. She does lots of meal planning to stay organized and feed her family nutritious meals.

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