Getting the whole family to eat more healthily is definitely a challenge! It helps to know what is good and not so good for them to eat and how to balance the two.

Fat has quite the reputation.  Is it good, is it bad, is it essential? The answer is actually yes to all three questions.

Most of us know by now that the bad fats are saturated fats, found chiefly in meat and high-fat dairy products, and trans fats (also known as hydrogenated fats), found in fried foods, cakes, crackers, and some margarines. They raise total cholesterol levels and block arteries.

The good fats are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, which mostly come from plants and fish, are essential to good health.

Polyunsaturated fats can be further divided into omega-6, found in most plants, and omega-3 fatty acids, found predominantly in fish oils – these are the essential fats (so called because they cannot be made by the body and need to be obtained through the diet).

Monounsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Nuts including peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios, avocado, canola and olive oil are high in Monounsaturated Fats.

Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.

Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Some plant foods are also high in saturated fats such as coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.

Making these changes will not be the easiest thing you have ever done – the trick is to make them one at a time and not try them all at once.  When you have successfully changed one habit, and then move on to the next one.