What Fat is Good Fat?

I have always struggled with fat. I mean, if I eat it, aren't I going to get, just that, fat? Turns out no. There is some fat that is actually beneficial to you, then there is the bad, beware, stay away from me fat.

Do you know which fat is the good fat? I have found a couple of different articles discussing good versus bad fat as well as which foods contain each of the various kinds of fat! The one I liked the best is here.

Good:
Monounsaturated Fats: Being lower in total cholesterol and higher in good cholesterol this fat provides more heart heath than hurt! These have also been found to help in losing weight by fighting off bad fat... So beat the bulge by eating the right fat instead of steering completely clear.
        ** This can be found in nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios), olive and canola oil, and avocado.    (Note to readers: baking with canola oil is actually better than veggie oil because it retains its moisture better too!)

Polyunsaturated Fats: Just like Monounsaturated these have a lower total cholesterol and higher good cholesterol count in them.
        ** I like to call this "fish fat" because this is the kind of fat you often hear people raging about... The Omega 3 fatty acids are in this group. Corn, soy, safflower, and sunflower oils also fall into this group.

Bad:
Saturated Fats: These have the bad cholesterol running rampant in them. Bad for your heart because they raise your overall cholesterol unlike the other ones that fight it.
        ** These can be found in meat, dairy, eggs, and seafood. Coconut oil (also good for baking, but bad for your heart) and palm oil are also high in saturated fat.

Trans Fat: This is basically manmade. We all know by now that organic is always a bit better than manmade. These oils are used to make highly processed foods sit better and grows their shelf life... More reason NOT to eat them!
        **These are found in... Basically all American bred food: French fries, microwave popcorn, vegetable shortening and margarine. Ugh, my heart hurts just thinking about this yucky stuff.

Hopefully these help you a little bit in your eating adventures! Just remember unsaturated = good, saturated = bad. And check the labels on the food that you're picking up this week on your grocery shopping trip!