Eating too much saturated fat raises blood cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease. Unsaturated fats, found mostly in plants, are liquid at room temperature. Polyunsaturated fats are found in safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, and cottonseed oils, and in some fish. Unsaturated fats are less likely to cause heart disease. In fact, monounsaturated fats, found in olive, peanut, and canola oils, appear to lower cholesterol.
Hydrogenated oils is a term often found in food labels.
Through a manufacturing process, normally liquid vegetable oils can be made to stay solid at room temperature. Therefore, they act as saturated fats and should be avoided in the diet. Avoid using saturated fats, margarines, gravies, and high fat salad dressings in preparing naturally lowfat foods. The number of fat grams allowed per day depends on a person's caloric requirements. Remember that about half of this fat will come from other food groups, and this should be included when calculating the total fat intake.