Eat Less Unhealthy Fats

Unhealthy saturated and trans fats put your heart health at risk because of the dangerous effect they have on your blood cholesterol. These fats lower your HDL ("good") cholesterol at the same time as they raise your LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which significantly increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

According to studies documented by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, every time you increase the amount of trans fatty acids in your diet, you decrease your HDL cholesterol by the same amount. And increasing the amount of saturated fatty acids you eat by just 1% raises your LDL cholesterol levels by 2%.¹²

These compelling figures show how easily a diet high in unhealthy fats can compromise your health. According to Health Canada, "the evidence linking saturated fat intake with elevated blood cholesterol and the risk of heart disease is among the most persuasive of all diet/disease relationships."¹³

On the positive side, there is just as much evidence to show that reducing the amount of saturated and trans fats in your diet can be highly effective in lowering your blood cholesterol levels. Scientific studies have found that a diet low in saturated fats can reduce LDL cholesterol levels by as much as 11%.¹⁴ 

As part of a healthy diet, you should get between 20% to 35% of your day’s calories from fat. 

If you have heart disease, diabetes or other health conditions, you should have even less fat in your diet. 

Oils and Fats

• Include a small amount – 30 to 45 mL (2 to 3 tbsp) – of unsaturated fat in your diet each day. This includes salad dressings, margarine, mayonnaise and oil used for cooking.
• Use vegetable oils such as canola, olive and soybean, in salads and for cooking.
• Choose soft margarines that are low in saturated and trans fats.
• Limit butter, hard margarine, lard and shortening.

Eggs are low in unhealthy fats

If you’re planning a low-fat menu, make sure to add eggs to your shopping list. Eggs have no trans fat and contain only 1.5 g of saturated fat. With a total fat content of just 5 g, eggs fit easily into the daily recommended limits for dietary fat. And they are low in calories, too, which make them the ideal choice if you’re trying to lose weight.

When you’re cooking with eggs, trim the fat by:

• scrambling or poaching instead of frying
• using non-stick sprays instead of butter
• replacing high-fat cheeses in omelettes with either low-fat cheeses or crunchy, high-fibre vegetables

Canadian Government takes aim at trans fat

Research shows that trans fat may be even more harmful to your health than saturated fat. Trans fat is usually found in foods made with hydrogenated oils such as fast foods, baked goods and processed snacks. In the 1990s Canada was thought to have one of the highest intakes of trans fat in the world.

Since November 2004, Health Canada has been working with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada to develop recommendations and strategies for reducing trans fat in Canadian foods to the lowest level possible. You can learn more about the task force recommendations in the 2006 report TRANSforming the food supply.