Fats Explained

Fats are an essential macronutrient meaning that they provide energy or calories for our body. Fats can delay the stomach from emptying and can slow the digestion of carbohydrates. Pairing fat with carbohydrates can be helpful in avoiding quick spikes in blood sugar levels after meals, but too much fat can keep your blood sugar levels high for far too long. It’s a bit tricky at times. It’s best to know the foods that are fats and to increase the monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats while decreasing or limiting the saturated fats. Trans fats are recommended to be kept to a minimum – so as little as possible.  See below for some examples of the foods that belong to each category.

  • Fats to increase:
    • Monounsaturated fats which inlude olive oils, canola oils, peanut oils
    • Polyunsaturated fats which include flax seeds, walnuts, corn oils
  • Fats to limit:
    • Saturated Fats such as whole milk, butter, cheese
    • Trans Fats which include most cakes, cookies, and crackers

 

Danielle Kennedy, RD, CDCES, LDN

Danielle Kennedy, RD, CDCES, LDN

Danielle Kennedy is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes and Education Specialist (CDCES). Danielle is currently the lead diabetes educator at the Diabetes Foundation and provides personalized and curriculum-based Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support education to people living with diabetes. Danielle teaches group classes as well as one to one sessions on diabetes management, nutrition education and other areas of diabetes and prediabetes care. Danielle’s passion is educating people to help them achieve their goal(s) and improve their quality of life while living with chronic disease.

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