Pulling Fat Out of the Fire : Much-Maligned Nutrient Serves Beneficial Purpose When Proper Amount Is Consumed
No fat is good, right? Wrong.
Many people mistakenly believe that we should cut all fat out of our diet. The truth is, our bodies need a certain amount of fat to function properly, says registered dietitian Penelope De Long, nutrition specialist at Irvine Medical Center.
“According to one study, two out of 10 Americans are under the false impression that all fat should be eliminated from the diet,” she said. “Fat’s not all bad. It’s actually an essential nutrient that we need to include in our diet.”
Registered dietitian Becky Posada of St. Joseph Hospital in Orange agrees.
“Fat performs a number of important functions,” she said. “Fat provides us with energy and essential nutrients such as linoleic acid, which maintains the structure of our cells.
“It also surrounds and cushions our vital organs; provides insulation which helps regulate body temperature; prevents dermatitis and drying of the skin; allows for the transport of the essential fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and best of all, makes food taste good and fills us up.”
Although it’s not easy to cut too much fat out of your diet, the consequences of doing so can be unpleasant.
“One study of animals deficient in fat found visual impairment and behavior changes,” Posada said. “Another study looked at infants who had been fed formula that contained insufficient amounts of fat. The babies experienced dry and flaky skin.”
Because we need fat doesn’t mean we should overdo it, though. Striking a healthy balance is important, because too much fat in the diet can also be a problem.
“The average American eats about 36% of their calories from fat, which is higher than the American Heart Assn.’s recommendation of 30%,” said Posada, who feels that keeping fat intake to 20% to 25% is even better.
To make sure that you eat the right amount of fat, follow these guidelines:
* Vary fat types. There are three types of fat--saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. The American Heart Assn. recommends that you eat foods from each group and don’t lean heavily on any type, especially saturated.
“Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature,” Posada said.
That would include meat fat, dairy products, lard, butter, cream, cream cheese, whole milk, cheese and sour cream.
The tropical oils--coconut, palm and palm kernel--are also saturated, as is anything that says hydrogenated, because this means that all liquid has been removed from the oil. These fats raise blood cholesterol and should be eaten in moderation.
Monounsaturated fats include olive, peanut and canola oil, and are found in foods such as olives, peanuts and avocados.
“These are the fats of choice because when eaten in moderation, they lower cholesterol levels and may also help to prevent cancer,” Posada said.
Polyunsaturated fats are found in vegetable oils such as corn, safflower, sunflower, cottonseed and soybean oil, as well as most nuts. These oils should be eaten with caution, because while they lower bad cholesterol, they also reduce good cholesterol.
* Look for hidden fats. You would be surprised how many foods harbor fat. Remember that mayonnaise, salad dressing, nuts and nut butters all contain fat, as does all meat. “Even though you trim the fat from a piece of meat, fat is still marbled throughout,” Posada said.
Fat is also in baked items. Watch for ingredients such as butter, cocoa butter, tropical oils, cream, egg yolk solids, hardened fat or hydrogenated vegetable oil.
* Count fat grams. It is important to see how much fat you should be eating each day. To do this, use this three-step test: First determine the amount of calories you need by multiplying your desired weight by 13 (or 15 if you are very active); then multiply this result by .20 and divide this figure by nine. You then have the total grams of fat you should eat each day.
To know how much fat you have been eating, De Long said, drop the last digit from your calorie intake and divide by three. As a rule, adult women should eat about 1,600 calories per day and adult males 2,400.
* Read labels. Once you know how much fat you should be eating, it is important to check the fat gram content of foods and keep track of how many grams you eat on a daily basis.
“In general, if a product contains more than three grams of fat per 100 calories, it is too high in fat,” Posada said.
Two to three grams of fat per serving is also a good guideline.
In addition, check serving sizes to see that they are realistic. For instance, will you stop at just one cookie or eat a mere half cup of cereal? Double or even triple fat grams according to how much food you have eaten.
If the fat content is not listed on a food, you can obtain the amount of fat from a fat counting guide, which you can get at a bookstore or from a registered dietitian.
Ingredients are listed on labels in descending order of amount. The main ingredient is listed first and the smallest last.
When reading a label look at the first three ingredients because these make up the bulk of the food. If you see an oil or margarine in the first three ingredients, the product is probably high in fat.
Be wary of labels that have a lot of fats throughout the ingredient list because this could also mean that the food is very fatty.
* Be fast-food savvy. “Before ordering at a fast food restaurant, I always ask for a nutritional analysis pamphlet which lists the fat content of the foods they serve,” Posada said. “You may be very surprised by what you find. A breaded fried fish sandwich, for instance, is higher in fat than a hamburger.”
* Watch meat choices and amounts. “The American Heart Assn. recommends that we eat no more than five to seven ounces of lean meat per day, which is under one pound. Realize that this is a small amount. Three ounces, for instance, is about the size of a deck of cards,” De Long said.
Choose lean cuts of meat such as beef round, sirloin, chuck and loin; pork tenderloin, leg and shoulder, and lamb leg, arm, loin and rib. All trimmed cuts of veal, and poultry, fish and shellfish are other lean choices.
If you want to cook with ground beef or hamburger, De Long suggests, choose extra lean meat with 15% or less fat. Or better yet, try ground turkey, which has only three to seven grams of fat in three ounces, contrasted with 15 grams in the same size portion of 80% lean ground beef.
To accustom your taste buds, you might try initially mixing turkey and hamburger.
* Try fat substitutes. Some products such as ice cream, salad dressing, yogurt and cheese spreads are being made with Simplesse, which contains no fat. “This is usually made from egg whites and is processed in such a way that it has the bulk and consistency of a fat molecule,” De Long said.
* Choose fresh foods. Stay away from highly processed foods, because they tend to contain a great deal of fat. Fresh fruits and vegetables, for instance, contain virtually no fat.
“In Southern California, there are many fresh fruits and vegetables available year-round,” De Long said. “Get creative and adventurous and try something new.”
* Opt for low-fat or nonfat dairy products. Try nonfat cottage cheese or yogurt. If you would like a compromise between low-fat milk, which has five grams of fat per serving, and nonfat milk which has just 0.2 grams, try the new 1% milk, which contains about two grams of fat in an eight-ounce glass.
* Choose low-fat or nonfat snacks. Instead of going for high-fat items such as potato chips, Posada suggests trying pretzels, air-popped popcorn, rice cakes, light crisp breads, saltines, bagels, graham crackers and nonfat yogurt.
