Everyone knows that saturated fats – those in meat, cheese, butter, pies and biscuits – are ‘bad’, while unsaturated fats in nuts and seeds are ‘good’. But are some of the good ones better than others and where can you find them?
Fatty acids are the building blocks of fats and those described as ‘good’ fall in two groups – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated include omega-7 and omega-9 fats, found in macadamia nut and olive oils, for example. Our bodies can make these, so they are not considered ‘essential’ in the diet, but having a direct source of them does have health benefits.