Fats
What you need to know

No. Some dietary fat is needed for good health. Why? Well, fats supply energy and essential fatty acids and are the source of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. While the inclusion of some fat in the diet is important, more does not mean better. Many people continue to eat diets high in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol despite their knowledge that this style of eating is linked to heart disease obesity and the risk of developing some types of cancer.

Some types of desserts and snack foods that are high in fat contain few nutrients.

Milk/Dairy Group -- Choose low-fat milk and cheeses from this category to cut down on the total fat content of your diet.

Meat, Fish, Poultry Group -- Choosing lower fat options in the group allows you to eat the recommended servings and still stay within the guidelines of consuming no more than 30% of your total calories/day from fat.

Grains Group -- Many processed foods in this category are high in fat so take a look at the nutrition label before you pick up your next box of granola or muffins.

Choose Foods Low in Saturated Fats

Saturated fats and trans-fats raise blood cholesterol levels more than other fats. Reducing saturated fat to 10% or less of your total daily caloric intake will help to lower your blood cholesterol. Meat, milk and other dairy products are the main sources of saturated fats in most American diets. Trans-fats are found primarily in baked goods and stick margarine's.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats reduce blood cholesterol when they are used in place of saturated fats. Olive and canola oil are excellent sources of monounsaturated fats. Most other vegetable oils, nuts and some fish are good sources of polyunsaturated fats.

Believe it or not the body makes all the cholesterol it requires. Dietary cholesterol comes from animal sources such as eggs, meat, poultry and higher fat dairy products. To keep your cholesterol intake to the recommended level of 300mg. daily, eat more grains, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and limit the intake of high cholesterol foods.