Good Fat, Bad Fat
Some foods can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.- Watch out for foods high in fat. Even small portions of high-fat foods contain a lot of calories.
- Be aware of hidden fats. Processed and pre-packaged foods often contain hidden fats. Check the food label and avoid foods with a high percentage of total fat, trans or saturated fats. Trans and saturated fats increase blood cholesterol.
Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide recommends including small amounts of unsaturated fats every day. This includes fats such as vegetable oils (canola, olive, soybean) in salad dressings, and soft, non-hydrogenated margarine.
“Good fats,” in small amounts, are needed to absorb vitamins key to good health and disease fighting. They also help our bodies eliminate “bad” cholesterol from our blood.
These foods have “good” fats so you get more health benefits than risks:
- nuts, such as peanuts, pecans, almonds and walnuts
- soy products
- avocados
- olive and canola oil
- fish like salmon, trout, herring and sardines
- ground flax seed and flax seed oil
- omega 3 enriched eggs
All fats add calories. That’s why it’s important to limit fats and choose “good” fats with the best nutritional value.
“Bad fats” (saturated fats) are found mainly in animal fats and are harder for our bodies to break down. Bad fats will increase the bad cholesterol in your blood, and increase the risk of clogged arteries and heart disease.
Read labels for hidden fats
Many packaged goods are hiding places for bad fats. It’s now the law for packaged food labels to list detailed nutritional information, including the type of fat they contain. Look at the Nutrition Facts panel of your favorite packaged foods; then, select items that have a low percentage of fat and contain little or no saturated or trans fat. Visit Healthy Canadians for more information on how to read nutrition labels.
Look for and avoid these hidden fats:
- saturated fat, butter, milk fat, any meat fats, lard
- palm or coconut oil
- hydrogenated fat or hydrogenated vegetable oil
- shortening
- tallow
- monoglycerides and diglycerides
- trans fat
- No cholesterol or cholesterol-free: it means no animal fat, but the product can still have hydrogenated fats, a “bad fat” that can increase your risk of heart disease or stroke.
- Fat-free: it may have larger amounts of sugar, making it high in empty calories.
How can you prevent diabetes?
Disclaimer: Your health care provider knows you, your health history and the kinds of changes you can make to improve your health. This website is not intended to replace advice from your health provider.
