These might seem like confusing questions and when wading through the information available sometimes it can feel like there is just too much information out there, but there is no reason for you to be confused; we will help give you the facts that will simplify your choices and make it easier for you to live a more healthy life. Let’s start with this great article we stumbled across from Good Housekeeping South Africa. Beginning with the basic question of should you eat fats. Here is what Good Housekeeping had to say:

Definitely! Everyone needs some fat in their diet – as a source of energy, to keep your skin and hair healthy, to make certain hormones, and to help your body absorb certain vitamins (A, D, E and K).

It’s important to remember that not all fats are the same and it’s important to concentrate on consuming ‘good’ fats such as unsaturated fats. Next, Good Housekeeping explains in more detail what types of fats we should be eating. Based on convincing evidence, a heart-healthy diet should include healthy unsaturated fats from a variety of sources, eaten in moderation, while saturated and Trans fat intakes should be kept as low as possible. The evidence referred to here is a study published by the Public Library of Science which looks at the effects of different fats on coronary heart disease. Now that we know we should be including ‘good’ fats into our diet and leaving the ‘bad’ fats out, GHK has given a list of ways to help us make healthier fat choices when shopping:

• Look out for the Heart Mark logo on soft tub margarines, and use a variety of spreads depending on your needs;
• Light or extra light spreads contain less total fat compared to other spreads. These are good choices if you are trying to lose weight;
• Read the food labels to choose soft tub margarines and oils with the lowest saturated fat content but have higher amounts of healthy omega-3s and monounsaturated fats;
• For baking, choose a vegetable oil or soft tube margarine/ spread which is suitable for baking
• For shallow frying, stir-frying or braising, instead of butter or lard use a small amount of vegetable oil or a soft tub margarine/spread which is suitable for frying (read suggestions on the product label)

These are all great tips that will definitely make it easier when trying to choose the perfect margarine for you.

References: www.imace.org