Fat is the body's most concentrated source of energy. Some dietary fat is vital to enable the body to function properly. Fatty acids are separated by their structure as either saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. These include the fats in whole milk, cream, cheese, butter, meat and poultry. Saturated fats also can be found in large amounts in some vegetable products, such as cocoa butter, coconut oil and palm oil.
Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature.
Monounsaturated fats are found primarily in plants, but also are found in animals. Olive, peanut and canola oil are common examples of fats high in monounsaturated fatty acids. Also, most margarines and hydrogenated vegetable shortenings tend to be high in monounsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. Polyunsaturated fats are found mostly in plants.