Fat is needed to cushion organs, like the heart, and to keep our bodies warm. It carries vitamins A, D, E and K through the body and aides their absorption. Food labels provide information in the list of ingredients and on the nutrition label. Look for different kinds of fat in the ingredient list such as coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, butter, lard and beef tallow. These types of fat are mostly saturated.
Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature.
They have been reported to raise blood cholesterol levels, which increase our risk for heart disease. Vegetable oil such as soybean, corn, safflower, canola and sunflower are mostly unsaturated. They do not raise blood cholesterol levels like saturated fats, however, they do contribute to total fat and caloric intake. Nutrition labels list total fat in grams per serving and may also provide information in the amount of polyunsaturated and saturated fat. Use nutrition labels to compare the fat in different foods and to help you figure how much fat you eat in a total day.