According to the national research council, animal products, such as red meats (beef, veal, pork, and lamb), fish and shellfish, separated animal fats (such as tallow and lard), milk and milk products, and eggs, contribute more than half of the total fat, three fourths of the saturated fat, and all the cholesterol to the diet of people in the united states. Of these, red meats provide the major source of fat for Americans in all age groups except infants, and ground beef is the greatest contributor of fat. May on noise, salad dressings, and margarine are the chief sources of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid. Eggs supply the most cholesterol. To keep yourself fit and healthy, always check your cholestrol intake.



Because the fat in food is a mixture of saturated and unsaturated, deciding which foods to eat and which to avoid is difficult. The amount of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat in foods varies considerably. For example, dairy products, such as cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and whole milk, beef products, such as hamburger and steak; pork products, such as pork chops, bologna, and frankfurters; and oils, such as butter and margarine, derive from 49% to 100% of their calories from fat. Fish products, vegetables, and fruits are significantly lower in fat. The way food is processed, stored, and prepared can also have a dramatic effect on its fat content. For instance, whole milk has more than eight times the fat calories as skim milk, fish sticks fried in oil have four times the fat calories as baked flounder, oil packed tuna has five times more fat calories than water packed tuna, and potato chips have 60 times more fat calories than a baked potato.

When possible, monounsaturated fats, such as those found in canola oil, olives, and peanuts should be substituted for saturated fats. Population studies of people living in mediterranean countries like greece and southern Italy reveal that although their heart disease rate is low, their total consumption of fat is high-more than 35% of calories in comparison with americans. More important, their consumption of saturated fats is low about 9% of calories or less and is replaced by a diet high in monounsaturated fats. Experts believe that consumption of monounsaturated fats is less likely than consumption of saturated and polyunsaturated fats to result in oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Thus it keep health and wellness.