What’s the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?

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There are two types of fats in our diet: saturated and unsaturated.

saturated fats are mostly derived from animal products: meat & dairy. Saturated fats are not essential nutrients. This means our body can make saturated fats on its own and does not require them from our diet. Saturated fats have been correlated with increased LDL cholesterol and thus increased risk of heart disease. It is best to keep saturated fats to no more than 10% of daily calories (no more than 20-22g per day).
unsaturated fats are essential nutrients. This means we need to consume these in our diet in order for our body to be able to make and use them. Omega 3s and 6s are absolutely essential and can be found in nuts & seeds and fatty fish. Other unsaturated fats come from plant products like seed oils, whole nuts & seeds, avocados, and other cooking oils like olive oil. The majority of your daily fat intake (40-45g) should come from unsaturated sources of fat.

Fat is great for long term energy supply. Consuming fat in our diet is crucial to support energy and hormone health. But not all fat is created equal….

About 30% of your daily calories should come from fat.