Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are known as the “good fats” because they are good for your heart, your cholesterol, and your overall health. These fats can help to: Lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Unsaturated fats, which are liquid at room temperature, are different from saturated fats because they contain one or more double bonds and fewer hydrogen atoms on their carbon chains. Unsaturated fats come from plants and occur in the following kinds of foods: Olives.

-Saturation: Saturated fatty acids have all single bonds between the carbons making them more solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fatty acids have a double bond, making them more liquid at room temperature. 3.

For example – vegetable oil, sunflower oil, mustard oil, avocado oil, etc. 5. Saturated fatty acids have higher melting point and that is why at room temperature they exist in the solid-state. Unsaturated fatty acids have lower melting point and that is why at room temperature they exist in the liquid state.

Fatty acids are made up of carbon and hydrogen molecules. There are three types of fatty acids: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. The basic difference between each of these is the number of carbon atoms with or without two hydrogen atoms bonded to them.

Saturated fat is found in:

• butter, ghee, suet, lard, coconut oil and palm oil.
• cakes.
• biscuits.
• fatty cuts of meat.
• sausages.
• bacon.
• cured meats like salami, chorizo and pancetta.
• cheese.

Eggs are fairly low in fat One average egg (58g) contains around 4.6g fat, which is about a teaspoon. Only a quarter of this is saturated fat, the type that raises cholesterol levels in the body.

In general, red meats (beef, pork and lamb) have more saturated (bad) fat than chicken, fish and vegetable proteins such as beans. Saturated and trans fats can raise your blood cholesterol and make heart disease worse. The unsaturated fats in fish, such as salmon, actually have health benefits.

These foods are high in saturated fat:

• milk and white chocolate, toffee, cakes, puddings and biscuits.
• pastries and pies.
• fatty meat, such as lamb chops.
• processed meat, such as sausages, burgers, bacon and kebabs.
• butter, lard, ghee, dripping, margarine, goose fat and suet.
• coconut and palm oils and coconut cream.

14 Simple Ways to Reduce Saturated Fat

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
2. Eat more fish and chicken.
3. Eat leaner cuts of beef and pork, and trim as much visible fat as possible before cooking.
4. Bake, broil, or grill meats; avoid frying.
5. Use fat-free or reduced-fat milk instead of whole milk.

Although peanut butter contains high levels of fat, it contains low levels of saturated fats and significant amounts of good fats that are healthful for the body.

Worst nuts for your diet Ounce for ounce, macadamia nuts (10 to 12 nuts; 2 grams protein, 21 grams fat) and pecans (18 to 20 halves; 3 grams protein, 20 grams fat) have the most calories – 200 each – along with the lowest amounts of protein and the highest amounts of fats.

Fruits are Pectin- and Potassium-Filled Snacks Instead of reaching for a candy bar, satisfy a sugar craving with fruit, which can actually help lower your cholesterol. Apples, strawberries, grapes, and citrus fruits all contain a high amount of pectin, a type of fiber that can decrease your LDL levels.

Fortunately for everyone who loves peanut butter, almond butter, and other nut butters, these creamy treats are fairly healthy. And as long as they don’t contain hydrogenated fat, nut butters — including peanut butter — won’t cause problems for your cholesterol levels.

A few changes in your diet can reduce cholesterol and improve your heart health:

• Reduce saturated fats. Saturated fats, found primarily in red meat and full-fat dairy products, raise your total cholesterol.
• Eliminate trans fats.
• Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
• Increase soluble fiber.
• Add whey protein.

You don’t have to cut cheese out of your diet, but if you have high cholesterol or blood pressure, use high-fat cheeses sparingly.

They suggest limiting the following foods to achieve this:

• fatty beef.
• lamb.
• pork.
• poultry with skin.
• lard and shortening.
• dairy products made from whole or reduced-fat milk.
• saturated vegetable oils, such as coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil.

Fruits like avocados and apples, and citrus fruits like oranges and bananas can help lower cholesterol. Cholesterol is a material produced in the liver that your body needs to make hormones, vitamin D and other substances. Two types are in the body: Good and bad.

Heart-healthy oils like canola, corn, olive, peanut, and sunflower oils contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that help to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and raise “good” HDL cholesterol.

Start Your Day Right: 8 Healthy Breakfast Ideas to Lower Your Cholesterol

1. Oatmeal. A bowl of oatmeal packs 5 grams of dietary fiber.
2. Almond milk.
3. Avocado toast.
4. Egg white scramble with spinach.
5. Orange juice.
6. Whey protein smoothie.
7. Smoked salmon on a whole-wheat bagel.
8. Apple bran muffins.

Foods to avoid if you have high cholesterol levels include white bread, white potatoes, and white rice, whole-fat dairy products, and any highly processed sugars or flours. Fried foods and red meat should also be avoided, as well as foods high in saturated fats.

Instead of choosing white, refined breads for your sandwich, select whole grain breads. These breads are high in soluble fiber that can help keep your LDL levels healthy. 1Examples of whole grain breads include whole wheat bread, twelve-grain bread, or breads made with buckwheat, spelt, or barley flour.

Chicken eggs are an affordable source of protein and other nutrients. They’re also naturally high in cholesterol. But the cholesterol in eggs doesn’t seem to raise cholesterol levels the way other cholesterol-containing foods do, such as trans fats and saturated fats.

When planning meals for your cholesterol-lowering diet, it’s important to select whole grain bread, pasta, and cereals and to avoid refined, processed grains, which are found in foods like egg noodles, white bread, pastries, muffins, and crackers.

Choosing the Right Pasta Pasta noodles are the heart of the entire dish. While some forms of pasta can be healthy, other types of pasta may contain a lot of calories and have a high carbohydrate content. These could cause your cholesterol levels to increase.

These all add fats to the potatoes, and trans or saturated fats are known to contribute to high cholesterol levels. That doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy potatoes….A healthier potato.

7. Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits. These fruits are rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that lowers LDL.