Saturated fat what is it kids

Coconut oil is also high in saturated fat, but it has a different structure than saturated fats found in animal products. Coconut oil has become popular due to its health benefits; however, olive and canola oils are more heart-healthy.

Eating too much saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Trans fats: Found in some stick margarines, commercial snack foods, baked goods, and some commercially fried foods.

Trans fats also called trans fatty acids are created when vegetable oils are hydrogenated meaning that hydrogen atoms are added to the fat molecule so they remain solid at room temperature. Trans fats can raise cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease. Food manufacturers must list trans fats on food labels, but may also refer to them as "partially hydrogenated" oils on the ingredient list.

Many companies now make margarines or vegetable oil spreads without trans fats. When shopping for food and reading labels , remember that it's easy to eat a portion that's larger than the serving size on the label. A bag of corn chips might list 12 chips as a serving size, but kids often eat two or three times that amount. So be sure to pay attention to serving sizes. When it comes to fat, food packages can say many things, such as fat-free, low-fat, reduced fat, and light or lite.

The government has strict rules about the use of two of these phrases. By law:. Reduced-fat and light lite foods are a little trickier and you may need to do some supermarket math. Light lite and reduced-fat foods may still be high in fat. But if the regular version of a particular food was high in fat to begin with, a reduction may not lower the fat content enough to make it a smart snacking choice. Some fun activities for parents and kids to do together include playing on swings, riding tricycles or bicycles , jumping rope, flying a kite, making a snowman, swimming , or dancing.

The daily recommendation for exercise for children adults also is at least 1 hour per day. This takes commitment from parents, but the rewards are time together and better health. The AAP is not responsible for the content of the resources mentioned in this publication. Phone numbers and Web site addresses are as current as possible, but may change at any time. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Turn on more accessible mode.

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Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Listen Focus. Why is fat important? Types of fat Unsaturated fat Unsaturated fats are considered to be the healthiest fats. Saturated fat Saturated fats are found mostly in meat and animal products. Trans fat Trans fats are considered to be the least healthy fat. Fat and your toddler For children less than two years of age, full-fat foods such as milk, yogurt and cheese are recommended.

How much fat does your child or teen need? Polyunsaturated fats include omega-3 and omega-6 fats that have slightly different health benefits. Omega-3 fats are found in oily fish, eggs, linseed, walnuts and soybeans and have been shown to be protective against heart disease.

Omega-6 fats are found in nuts, sunflower seeds, sunflower and sesame oil and margarine spreads. They have been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease when consumed in place of saturated fats. These fats are generally solid at room temperature except for palm and coconut oil. Saturated fat is the primary type of fat found in milk, cream, butter, cheese, meat, palm oil and coconut oil.

Trans-fats are found in some pastries, biscuits and fast foods, and are classified as discretionary foods in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Trans-fats are unsaturated fats that behave similarly to saturated fats in the body because of their chemical shape. They can be found naturally occurring in some foods or processed foods. Trans-fats are produced during some manufacturing processes and have been found to be more harmful than saturated fat to heart health. For this reason, trans-fats should be avoided in the diet and replaced with mono or polyunsaturated fats where possible.