Low fat, high fat and low carbs, no trans fat, limit saturated fat, you’ve probably heard it all! As a nutrition expert, I provide evidence-based information on nutrition topics to provide the most accurate information to consumers. Over the years, recommendations for certain nutrients may change. This doesn’t mean false information is being relayed by health professionals, but that research evolves and it is our responsibility to provide the most up-to-date information that may be impactful to your health.

Fat is one the nutrients in which recommendations have fluctuated. What is the latest about fat? What are researchers finding? I have been intrigued with Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian’s research, in which his focus is on how diet and lifestyle affects cardiometabolic health. Dr. Mozaffarian, Dean of Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy and Professor of Nutrition, has authored numerous publications about dietary fats and their impact on health.

Dr. Mozaffarian, also a cardiologist, does not suggest saturated fats are good for you; however, believes the recommendation to cut back on fat has led to replacing it with refined carbohydrates such as white bread and sugars. People tend to think that dietary fat will make them fat, when in fact, overconsumption of processed and refined food products have a more detrimental effect on obesity and metabolic syndrome. Many of these processed foods and sweets contain trans fat and the message to consumers is the same: no trans fat.

A diet high in saturated fat and/or refined carbohydrates are not recommended for protecting against heart disease. In the past, emphasis was placed on limiting saturated fats as well as total fat. The message from the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans stays consistent with limiting saturated fat to 10 percent, but does not place emphasis on total fat. With emerging research, the intent is to encourage the American public to most often consume healthy fats (mono- and polyunsaturated) in place of saturated fats, being that eating moderate amounts of saturated fat has more impact on health than lowering total fat.

Instead of focusing on single nutrients in our diets, think about consuming a variety of foods with many key nutrients. Balance your diet by eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats (mono- and polyunsaturated fats). The beauty of nutritional science is that foods may provide a synergistic effect with the variety of nutrients they contain rather than one nutrient acting alone. Instead of trying to reduce saturated fat, make it a goal to add a serving of fruits and vegetables a day to your diet. This small change could help reduce the risk of heart disease more than reducing saturated fat alone.

Kimberly Young, MS, RDN, LD, is the WIC Coordinator at Panhandle Health District and a graduate of the University of Idaho Dietetic program.