Good fats and bad fats

Fat is full of calories (1g = 9 kcal) and is to blame for weight gain and heart problems, but our body needs fat to function. You have to eat a certain amount of the right fat. Here's the lowdown on what's good and bad.

Type of fatty acid	Sources
Saturated fatty acids	milk (especially whole milk), cheese, cream, butter, meat, coconut oil and palm oil
Monounsaturates	olive oil, rapeseed oil, peanut oil, oil-producing fruits (almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts)
Polyunsaturates - Omega 3  series	oily fish (tuna, mackerel, sardines, herring), rapeseed oil, soya oil, linseed oil (flax seed oil), walnut oil
Polyunsaturates - Omega 6 series	eggs, butter, dairy products, oil-producing fruits, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, borage oil, evening primrose oil
Trans fats	biscuits, cakes, industrially produced bread containing fat, some margarines, spreads and pastes, cream-based desserts, industrially produced ice-cream, crisps

Recommendations
Fat is essential and should never be cut out of your diet, even if you want to lose weight. According to official figures, fat should make up 30-35% of your daily energy intake (with 10-15% from protein and 50-55% from carbohydrates). However, to stay healthy and particularly to keep your heart healthy, it’s important you vary the fatty acids you consume: 25% saturated fatty acids, 50% monounsaturated fatty acids, 25% polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Which in practice means:
- You should limit your consumption of fatty dairy products, eggs and meat, and avoid refined products such as crisps, biscuits, cakes and ready meals at all costs.
- Eat oily fish (at least once a week) and rapeseed or walnut oil (2 tablespoons per day in cooking or seasoning).
- 10g butter a day is enough on your bread or melted over your vegetables. Watch out for refined products, though.