Teachers: Cut out and laminate these cards for future use. Fatoid Card # 1 Fats are vital to your health they help kids grow and develop. Fats contain energy, make up part of our cell membranes, and are used to make hormones that regulate blood pressure, heart rate, blood vessel constriction, blood clotting, and the nervous system. Fats also transport fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K throughout the body. Fat isn t evil, but it is important to choose the right kind and amount of fat in our diets. Mayo Clinic website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fat/nu00262 Kids Health Website: http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/fat.html Fatoid Card # 2 Bad (saturated) fats make blood cholesterol levels worse, increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. They are solid at room temperature (like butter). They come mostly from animals; meat, seafood, whole-milk dairy products (cheese, milk, and ice cream), and poultry skin. Some saturated fat comes from plants: coconut and coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. Another source of saturated fat is from high-heat processing which creates trans-fats. Trans-fats are cross-linked fatty acids that do not occur in nature. These refined oils are used in partially hydrogenated oils, shortening, and commercially deep-fried foods. Good (unsaturated) fats improve blood cholesterol levels, decreasing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. They are liquid at room temperature. They can be polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Sources of good fats are oils from fish, safflower, cottonseed, peanuts, olives, cashews, almonds, and most other nuts, seeds, and avocados. Harvard School of Health website http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fats.html 2007 The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 5
Fatoid Card # 3 Reduced-fat foods are lower in fat, but not always low in fat a. Fat-free means less than 0.5 grams from fat b. Low fat means 3 grams or less c. Reduced fat means at least 25% less fat than is in a standard serving d. Light means 1/3 fewer calories and/or 50% less fat than in a standard serving e. Also, many people believe that low-fat means healthy not always so. Many low-fat foods are high in sugar, calories, and other additives. Be sure to check the label! Mayo Clinic website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/low-fat/hq01663 Fatoid Card # 4 If you consume 1600 calories, you should have no more than 50 grams of fat per day. This calorie and fat ratio is good for sedentary women, children and many older adults. If you consume 2000 calories a day, you should have no more than 65 grams of fat. This ratio is good for moderately active women, teenage girls, and sedentary men. USDA Nutrient Data Library website: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ 2007 The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 6
Fatoid Card # 5 More than twelve million people die each year from cardiovascular disease. Studies indicate that by replacing just 5% of the bad (saturated) fats in their diet with good (polyunsaturated or monounsaturated) fats, people could reduce the risk of heart disease by 46%. Upritchard, J.E., M.J. Zeelenberg, H. Huizinga, P.M. Verschuren, and E.A.Trautwein. 2005. Modern fat technology: What is the potential for heart health?. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society; 64, 379-386. Fatoid Card # 6 Hippolyte Mége-Mounés invented margarine in 1869 as a butter substitute, but it was not a healthier choice. Actually, neither butter nor margarine is an ideal choice. Butter has a lot of saturated (bad) fat and margarine has some saturated (bad) fat and trans (bad) fats. Since then, modern technology has created heart-healthy spreads that are low in saturated and trans (bad) fats and high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (good) fats. Labels can tell you which margarines are better for you than others because manufacturers must now list trans fats on the food label, right beneath saturated fats. Some guidelines to help make good choices: Use canola or olive oil instead of butter or margarine. Choose soft margarine (tub or liquid) over harder stick forms. Choose margarines with liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient. Even better, choose light margarines that list water as the first ingredient, because these are even lower in saturated fat. National Library of Medicine Medline Plus website: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002114.htm 2007 The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 7
Fatoid Card # 7 Lipoproteins are composed of both protein and various fatty substances, including fatty acids and cholesterol. They are directly linked to cardiovascular disease. There are several types of lipoproteins present in human blood. LDLs (Low-density lipoproteins) are known as bad cholesterol. They carry cholesterol throughout the body. When too much cholesterol is in the blood, it can cause plaques to form in arterial walls, blocking the flow of blood and causing strokes or heart attacks. HDLs (High-density lipoproteins) are good cholesterol. They carry excess cholesterol to the liver for processing and removal from the body. Studies have found that a high level of HDL seems to prevent or even reverse the formation of cholesterol plaque in the arteries and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute website: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/wyntk.htm Fatoid Card # 8 The fatty acids in walnuts are good for your heart because they lower cholesterol and raise the amount of HDLs (good high-density lipoproteins that remove cholesterol from the body) and improve arterial function. Walnuts are an easy way to improve your health because they can be eaten as a snack that does not require any preparation, taste good, and can be included in a wide variety of recipes. Patel, Gita. (2005). Essential Fats in Walnuts are Good for the Heart and Diabetes. Journal of the American Dietetic Association; 105:7, 1096-1097. 2007 The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 8
Fatoid Card # 9 Some people believe fat-free means taste free. It is true that many of the early fat-free foods were not tasty substitutes for their high fat look-alikes, but the food industry recognized that and now offers some excellent choices. In addition to fat-free, many foods are offered in reduced-fat and low-fat versions. You don t have to give up your favorite foods; you just need to make good choices. Milk and milk products such as cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, ice cream, and yogurt all have low-fat and fat-free substitutes. You can make the same choices with lunch meats such as ham or hot dogs, mayonnaise and salad dressings, cookies, and both hot or cold breakfast cereal. Any reduction in fat can make a big difference to your health. As always, be sure to check the labels to be sure you are making a healthy choice! Fatoid Card # 10 Snacks plan them! If you believe snacking should be avoided, think again. There are several reasons to snack, just plan ahead to make them part of a healthy diet. Snacks can be beneficial to help control binge eating, provide extra energy and nutrients, and to prevent overeating at meal times. Best snack picks include whole grain crackers or pretzels; fruits and vegetables; nuts and seeds; and low-fat dairy products such as cheese or yogurt. As always, watch the portion size to keep your snacks healthy and adjust for the calories consumed in your daily calorie total. The Mayo Clinic website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-diet/hq01396 2007 The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 9