1. Fat Is an Essential Nutrient in Our Diet. TRUE We Often Want to Give a Bad Rap to The

#6. Facts on Fat

Answer Key

1. Fat is an essential nutrient in our diet. –TRUE We often want to give a bad rap to the fat in our diet, when really we should just be choosing the right sources and moderate amounts. Choosing oils like olive and canola for baking or cooking, will help us get in those healthy un-saturated fats. When it comes to saturated fats like butter, coconut oil, and lard, use them in moderation. Finally with the tran- fats, you’ll want to keep those out of our diet entirely.

2. Trans fat should be kept out of your diet. – TRUE Trans-fats are associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. They increase you LDL or bad cholesterol, and lower your good HDL cholesterol. They are most often found in processed foods.

3. Saturated fat is worse than trans-fat and should never be consumed. – FALSE Saturated fats are fine to use in our diets. They should be consumed in moderation and not used as your primary source of fat. Choosing low-fat dairy foods, flavorful cheeses, lean cuts of meat are some easy ways to enjoy saturated fats in moderation.

4. You should choose mono-unsaturated fats like olive or canola oil as your primary sources of fat. – TRUE These fats increase your HDL ( good cholesterol) and decrease your LDL ( bad cholesterol), which is why we suggest primarily using these types of fats.

5. You can get all of the omega -3 fatty acids your body needs through supplements. – FALSE Unfortunately omega-3 fatty acid supplementation has not been shown to help reduce your risk for heart disease and/or stroke as compared to getting omega-3 fatty acids from foods like salmon, sardines, walnuts and leafy greens.