World Heart Federation - Bad Fats

Main Menu

Which fats are good?

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats
reduce the bad LDL-cholesterol in
your blood and thus your risk of heart disease.

Both generally come from vegetable sources and are usually liquid at room temperature. Unsaturated fat can be found in soft margarine; vegetable oils such as olive, sesame, sunflower and soya; and oily fish, such as mackerel, sardines, pilchards and salmon.

Remember that good fats should be part of a balanced diet. The average woman/man should aim to eat a maximum of 70/85g of fat per day.

Know Your Fats

Q: Does eating good fats instead of bad fats help you lose weight?

Discover how easy it is to change your diet

Main Sources
of Good Fats

  • Oily fish, e.g.
    • Herring
    • Mackerel
    • Salmon
  • Vegetable oils, e.g.
    • Olive
    • Canola (rape seed)
    • Groundnut
    • Sesame
    • Sunflower
    • Safflower
    • Soybean Oils
  • Most nuts, e.g.
    • Almonds
    • Walnuts
    • Pecans
    • Cashews
    • Brazil nuts
    • Chestnuts
    • Hazelnuts
    • Peanuts
    • Pistachios
  • Seeds, e.g.
    • Sesame seeds
    • Pumpkin seeds
    • Sunflower seeds
  • Avocado
  • Margarine containing
  • Omega 3 and Omega 6