Fats are one of the three main macronutrient groups in human diet, along with carbohydrates and proteins and the main components of common food products like milk, butter, tallow, lard, salt pork, and cooking oils. They are a major and dense source of food energy for many animals and play important structural and metabolic functions, in most living beings, including energy storage, waterproofing, and thermal insulation.

Fat is essential in our diet and it is one of the three macronutrients that make up the main components of our food. Eating fat alone will not cause you to gain weight. You can think of fat in food as broken into saturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Saturates mainly come from animal products whereas the unsaturated fats are plant based. Fat plays many roles in the body. When it comes to your meal it can actually help you to fill up faster and feel full longer.

For example, if you were to choose a salad for lunch it would be best to choose a salad with mixed greens, some olive oil, avocado and a handful of nuts, as opposed to choosing just a mixed green salad with a fat free dressing. The former will keep you satisfied longer. For more information on how you can include healthy fats into your diet, contact your local dietitian or local family physician medical professional.

Video filmed in conjunction with Sarah Ware, BSc (Hons), RD, CDE

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Have you been diagnosed with high LDL cholesterol? Are you just trying to make some heart healthy choices? There are several things you can do with your diet, in particular, lowering your dietary saturated fat. To do that, you should try to aim for lower fat animal products. This will help lower your saturated fat.

Choose extra lean ground beef. Take off the skin from your chicken and choose meats that are less marbled. You can also add more fish and nuts and seeds as well as choosing vegetarian meals such as beans and lentils and chickpeas and try to get rid of some of those high fat deli meats such as bacon sausages and salami. You can also reduce your choice of high fat creamy sauces and choose more tomato sauces instead. And finally, limit your egg yolks. If you can limit egg yolks to only two per week you'll lower your saturated fat intake and your cholesterol.

If you'd like more information about how to lower your saturated fat intake, you can contact your local registered dietician. Presenter: Ms. Diana Steele, Registered Dietitian, Vancouver, BC

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