The Truth About Oils

When considering food sources from “fats” we often think of butter, shortening and oils, which are made up of fatty acids. Fatty acids have specific chemical shapes that affect both how the fat performs in cooking and how the fat digests and impacts your health. Fats are classified as saturated, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated depending on the level of fatty acid that makes up most of the fat. The recommendations about the amount and type of fat you should include in your diet made a splash in the media in 2016. To clear up the confusion, we have broken down the details of each type of fat and explain their effects on your health.

Saturated fats
Sources: Butter, lard, shortening, coconut oil
Description: These fats are solid at room temperature.
Best uses: These fats are best used for baking pies, pastries, biscuits or cookies.
Effects on health: A diet high in saturated fat has been associated with higher cholesterol levels and increased risk for heart disease.

Polyunsaturated fats
Sources: Canola oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil
Description: These fats are always liquid, even in the fridge.
Best uses: These fats are extremely versatile and can be used for sautéing, roasting, baking or making salad dressing.
Effects on health: Unlike saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats may help improve cholesterol levels and reduce the risk for heart disease. Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are another term to describe specific types of polyunsaturated oils. These oils have heart-health and anti-inflammatory benefits and are essential for good health.

Monounsaturated fats
Sources: Olive oil, peanut oil, sesame oil
Description: These fats are liquid at room temperature but become semi-solid in the fridge.
Best uses: These fats can be used to drizzle over steamed or sautéed vegetables or to make salad dressing.
Effects on health: When substituted for saturated fats, monounsaturated fats can help improve cholesterol levels and therefore reduce the risk for heart disease.

The Bottom Line: Although fats earned a poor reputation years ago, we now know that fats are not only important for our health, but they also promote satiety, which is key for weight loss and weight management. Choose polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats such as olive and canola oils over saturated fats like butter and coconut oil. Stock your kitchen with a variety of oils. Our top three picks to keep in your pantry are extra-virgin olive oil, which is filled with antioxidants, canola oil for its exceedingly long shelf life and walnut oil to add extra omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.

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