12 Steps to Hellp You Switch to Healthier Fats

12 Tips to Help You Switch to Healthier Fats

Linda Slota, Director Webster Senior Center

1. Dip Into Olive Oil

Heart-healthiest oil is olive oil. Olive oil is now served in some restaurants with bread baskets instead of butter.

2. Make the Most of Margarine

If you need to lower your cholesterol, spread your toast with a margarine that contains plant sterols to help decrease "bad" LDL cholesterol. Other margarines, including Promise with Heart Healthy Essentials and Smart Balance Omega Plus with Flax, contain omega-3-fatty acids. Omega 2 fats found in fish have been found to lower the risk of heart attack and reduce irregular heart rhythms.

3. Assess ALA

Flaxseed, walnut, soy-bean, and canola oil is as beneficial to you as to your heart. It is healthier than saturated fat.

4. Just Say No to Trans Fats

Read labels to avoid trans fats which come from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in bread crackers, cakes, muffins and cookies. Guidelines recommend limiting trans fats to 1% or less of a day's calories. Look for products with "0 grams trans fats."

5. Find the Hidden Fat

Read food labels very carefully.

6. Case the Calorie Content

For a healthy heart, choose foods with a big difference between the total number of calories and the number of calories from fat.

7. Look for Total Fat

This will be given in grams - the lower the better.

8. Search for Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a second cousin to fat. Again, lower the better. Too much cholesterol can raise the risk of heart disease. Consume no more than 300mg.

9. Check for Health Claims

"Cholesterol free" means that a product must contain less than 2 mg cholesterol and no more than 2 g of saturated fat per serving.

10. Be skeptical of the term "Fat Free"

A "fat free" label means that there must be less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving.

11. Beware of "Light"

Products labeled "lite" means that there must be 1/3 fewer calories or no more than 1/2 the fat of higher calorie, higher-fat version of the product. For an example, mayonnaise.

12. Think Lean.

"Lean" means that there must be less than 10 grams of fat, less than 4.5 g of saturated fat and no more than 95 mg cholesterol per serving.