fats and oils

• Fats


  Come from animal sources and are saturated. Fats are solid at room temperature.
• Oils


  Come from marine or plant sources and are unsaturated. Oils are liquid at room temperature.
• Healthy eating guidelines advise that we choose unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats because saturated fats contain cholesterol
• Functional foods


  Foods that have additional health benefits beyond basic nutrition
• Some plant and marine fats are considered functional foods because they help to lower cholesterol
• Margarine


  Made from vegetable oil, but hardened during processing and becomes a saturated fat. Should be limited in the diet. Used for baking and frying.
• Vegetable oils


  • Seed (e.g. sunflower, rapeseed, palm)
  • Olive
  • Nut (e.g. coconut, peanut, walnut)
  • Cereal (e.g. corn oil)
  • Soya (e.g. soya bean oil)
• Butter


  Made by churning cream. Contains 82% fat, mostly saturated, which increases cholesterol. Different types include salted, unsalted, low-fat and spreadable.
• Types of butter


  • Salted
  • Unsalted
  • Low-fat
  • Spreadable
• Spreads


  Alternatives to butter that can be chosen
• Culinary uses of fats and oils

  • Frying
  • Baking
  • Roasting
  • Sautéing
  • Dressing salads
  • Cooking
• Storing fats


  Cover and store in the fridge. If uncovered, they go rancid and absorb flavours from foods.
• Storing oils


  Oils go rancid if exposed to sunlight, so store in dark bottles in a dark cupboard.
• Cream


  The fatty liquid that rises to the top of milk before homogenisation. Cream is high in fat and low in other nutrients, so should only be eaten occasionally.
• Cream should be covered and stored in the fridge away from strong-smelling foods such as onions