What are solid fats?
What are "solid fats"? (SF's) SF's are fats that are solid at room temperature, like butter and shortening. SF's come from many animal foods and can be made from vegetable oils through a process called hydrogenation. Some common SF's are: * butter * beef fat (tallow, suet) * chicken fat * pork fat (lard) * stick margarine * shortening Foods high in SF's include: * many cheeses * creams * ice creams * well-marbled cuts of meats * regular ground beef * bacon * sausages * poultry skin * many baked goods (such as cookies, crackers, donuts, pastries, and croissants) In some cases, the fat in these foods is invisible. Regular cheese and whole milk are high in SF, even though it is not visible. Most SF's are high in saturated fats and/or trans fats and have less monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. Animal products containing SF's also contain cholesterol. In contrast to SF's, oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature, like the vegetable oils used in cooking. Oils come from many different plants and from fish. Some common oils: * canola oil * corn oil * olive oil * peanut oil * safflower oil * soybean oil * sunflower oil Some oils are used mainly as flavorings, such as walnut oil and sesame oil. A number of foods are naturally high in oils, such as: * nuts * olives * some fish * avocados A few plant oils, including coconut oil and palm kernel oil, are high in saturated fats and for nutritional purposes should be considered SF's.
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