Reduce intake of saturated and trans fats while increasing consumption of unsaturated fats.

Look for foods higher in unsaturated fats, lower in saturated fat, and with no trans fat.

Pay attention to the Nutrition Facts panel to determine how much of the total fat is coming from the different types of fats.

Panels may not always specify the amount of unsaturated fats, but one can determine this by subtracting the amount of saturated and trans fats (which will always be on the panel) from the amount of total fat.

For example:

10 grams Total Fat

- 1 grams Saturated Fat

- 0 grams Trans Fat

9 grams Unsaturated Fat

As a rule of thumb, look for products that have four times more unsaturated fat than the sum of saturated fat plus trans fat.

Choose foods that list ingredients high in ‘good’ fats and healthier oils over foods high in ‘bad’ saturated and trans fats.

MUFAs and PUFAs are found in a wide range of foods from nuts, avocados and fish, to vegetable oils like corn, soybean, sunflower, canola or olive oil to packaged foods cooked in healthier oils.

It is important to know what the sources of ‘good’ fats are and replace other, less healthful fats with these daily.

The best way to determine if there are healthier oils present is to become familiar with the oils to consume more often that are comprised of 80 percent or more MUFAs and PUFAs:

Sunflower oil

Corn oil

And, those to consume less often which are comprised of high amounts of saturated and trans fats:

Coconut oil

Palm oil

Remember that, even though the focus of dietary guidelines have shifted from quantity (amount of fat) to quality (type of fat), the size of the portion you eat is still very important.

It is critical to be aware that “serving size” and “portion size” are not always the same. The Nutrition Facts panel defines what a serving size of the food is and all the information on the panel refers to that amount. But your portion size is the amount of food that you select to eat, which may be larger or smaller than the serving size.

Use the serving size on the panel as a reference to determine the nutritional value of your portion size.

For example: if the serving size is equal to 1 cup and contains 13 grams of total fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, and 2 grams of trans fat but the portion you select is 2 cups, you are eating 26 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, and 4 grams of trans fat.

Instead of eating directly out of the package or container, select an amount of food you think will satisfy you and put it in a separate plate, cup or bowl. If you are still hungry, you can always go back for more.