Fat is not all bad...
Are there different types of fat?
Yes, there are 4 types of fat:
- Saturated fat
- Monounsaturated fat
- Polyunsaturated fat
- Trans fat
Did you know that different types of fat can affect your health differently?
Trans fat
Trans fat is formed when vegetable oils undergo hydrogenation, an industrial process that hardens liquid oil to produce fats like hard margarine and shortening. Trans fat raises Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and lowers High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, thus increasing the risk of heart disease. The main sources of trans fat in our diet are pastries, cakes, cookies, biscuits, commercially deep-fried food as well as products containing vegetable-shortening and hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils.
Why pick healthier oils?
Oil is an ingredient present in all our daily meals. That's why it is important to make sure the cooking oil you use is healthy.
Like most foods, oils contain a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fats.
- Healthier oils offer mostly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.
- Unhealthy oils are high in trans and saturated fat.
Picking healthier oils can be tricky. Not all plant-based oils are healthy, and many blended oils can be high in saturated fat.
Why pick healthier oils?
Oil is an ingredient present in all our daily meals. That's why it is important to make sure the cooking oil you use is healthy.
Like most foods, oils contain a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fats.
- Healthier oils offer mostly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.
- Unhealthy oils are high in trans and saturated fat.
Picking healthier oils can be tricky. Not all plant-based oils are healthy, and many blended oils can be high in saturated fat.
So what should I do?
- Use less oil in cooking. Choose oils higher in unsaturated fat, and avoid re-using oils more than twice.
- Adopt healthier cooking methods (e.g. steaming, baking) more often.
- Use fat spreads (e.g. margarine, butter, kaya, peanut butter) sparingly.
- Choose low-fat dairy products, lean meat and poultry, and fish. Remove visible fat from meat and poultry before cooking.
- Consume fish at least twice a week. Replace meat in dishes with beans and bean products (e.g. tofu) on some days.
- Replace fried noodles with soup noodles occasionally
- Limit deep-fried food to no more than twice a week.
- Consume high-fat bakery products (e.g. pastries, cakes and cookies) less often.
- Remove visible fat from meat and poultry.
- Ask for less oil and gravy in food.
When shopping
- Read the ingredient list to identify products that contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats/oils/shortening. These are likely to be high in saturated and trans fat.
- Read the Nutrition Information Panel on food labels to compare the amount of fat in food products.
- Choose products with the
Healthier Choice Symbol as they are lower in total and saturated fat compared to other products in similar categories. These products also have no trans fat or only negligible amounts of it per serving.
Click here to download the booklet Fat Matters.
So Remember...
- Moderate the total fat you consume.
- Limit the intake of saturated fat and trans fat and replace them with mono- or polyunsaturated fats.
Read these next:
So Remember...
- Moderate the total fat you consume.
- Limit the intake of saturated fat and trans fat and replace them with mono- or polyunsaturated fats.
Read these next:
Contributed By
- Health Promotion Board