Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD and Liz Weiss, MS, RD, Co-authors, The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers
The Meal Makeover Moms have created a series of online videos featuring cooking demonstrations and mealtime/pantry tips. Discover easy ways to improve your family's diet by watching more of their how-to videos.
People are often paranoid about fat but believe it or not, fat is good for you. It’s important, however, to choose the right kinds.
Trans Fats: You may have heard about trans fats which we get in our diet when partially hydrogenated oils are used in shortening, frying oil, commercial pastries, pie crusts, and crackers. Eating trans fats can raise your bad cholesterol and lower your good cholesterol. Avoid these when you can… read the food label to spot them.
Saturated Fats: Found in fatty cuts of red meat, the skin on poultry/chicken, and full fat dairy, this type of fat can raise cholesterol levels too. To lower them in your diet, switch to lowfat cheese, lean cuts of meat and take the skin off poultry. Also, read food labels. It’s okay to get some sat fat in your diet … about 20 grams a day is a ballpark for most people.
Monounsaturated Fat: This is the good-for-you fat. Found in olive oil, canola oil, peanuts and peanut oil, tree nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pecans, olives, and avocado, this fat can lower your cholesterol level.
Polyunsaturated Fat: Another cholesterol-lowering fat that we love. The type of poly that we especially like is the omega-3 polyunsaturated fat. Omega-3 is found in seafood, especially fatty fish like salmon, omega-3 eggs, canola oil, walnuts, and flaxseed. Most people don’t get enough of this essential fat. So choose from these omega-3 foods.
