A basic understanding of nutrition could really help a lot of people out. Fad diets that introduce the idea that carbs are bad, or low-fat is king, are doing everyone who is trying to eat better a disservice. Eating healthier isn’t about how to reduce fat in your diet, though this can be an important part of an effort to eat better. Eating healthier is about learning how to balance your intake of foods, and that most foods have their good and bad points.
There are two general types of fats– unsaturated and saturated. Most saturated fat is animal fat, and most unsaturated fat is plant fat, though there are a few major exceptions. Saturated fat is bad for you, and should be reduced or eliminated from your diet. Unsaturated fat is good for you, can reduce cholesterol and improve heart health, and is absolutely essential for human function.
Unsaturated fats are generally oils at room temperature, and as well as coming from plants, also can be found in fish. Fats are high in calories and thus eating too much of any kind can cause weight gain and the associated problems, but eating a bit of unsaturated fats regularly is important to living healthily.
Moving away from saturated fats towards unsaturated ones can help keep you healthy. These substitutions include things like replacing high-fat salad dressings with a dairy source (mostly saturated fats) with vingrettes, which have a oil-based fat source (mostly unsaturated fats). Olive oil and herbs can replace a pasta dish with alfredo sauce, when you are having a craving for fats, as well.
Although fat is necessary for life, humans like their fat and generally eat too much of it. Fats are high in calories, containing more than twice as many as the same amount of a protein or carbohydrate food. Reducing the amount of fat you eat can thus be considered healthy, though it is not quite as simple as that.
However, in order to make ‘diet’ foods taste good, manufacturers regularly add huge amounts of sugar to low-fat items. So check the nutritional information on low-fat versions of favorite foods and make sure that they are also calorie-reduced, or it probably isn’t worth it. Excess sugar in your diet is implicated in as many health problems as excess fats.
When making food at home, reducing the fat while retaining the nutrition is easier. Recipes for baked goods can often tolerate the complete removal of 1/4 to 1/3 of the fat they call for, with minimal effect. If a baked item calls for a large amount of fat, you may want to replace this quantity with applesauce, for volume and texture of the finished product. Otherwise, applesauce may be needed only if you reduce the fat even further than one-third.
When making foods that are not baked items, consider using additional herbs and spices. Low fat food often tastes bland to humans, so increasing the appeal of a food with new flavors from spices and garnishes can create additional interest. Grilling, broiling, baking and sauteeing items can also increase the flavor intensity without adding the fats that other methods require.
Learn more about How to Handle a Fever During Pregnancy. Stop by Baboosh Baby where you can find out all about Acid Reflux While Pregnant and other health related issues.
Author worries about high cholesterol, especially the bad cholesterol - looks for info on lowering, reducing cholesterol, eating healthier.

