--- Fats ---

* Saturated fats are found in most dairy and animal-based foods, and raise "bad" cholesterol levels. Bad cholesterol, formally known as low-densitiy lipoprotein or LDL, can cause plaque buildup in blood vessels. This reduces oxygen and blood flow. LDL is also linked to a higher risk of blood diseases.

* Unsaturated fats are found throughout seeds and nuts, cooking oils and fatty fish, and some plants, like avocados and olives. They raise "good" cholesterol fats, AKA high-density lipoprotein or HDL, which transfer LDL (bad cholesterol) to the liver for disposal.

* Trans fats are found naturally in some animal-based foods and can be formed during food processing, such as in the refining of canola oil. They considerably raise LDL (bad) and actually lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Health Canada has put in place laws inhibiting the sale of products that include trans fats; you should avoid trans fats whenever possible.

* There's not really such a thing as a "serving" of fat; just aim to improve your lipid profile by reducing saturated (and especially trans) fats and having more unsaturated fats. Canada's Food Guide suggests 30 to 45 ml (about 25 to 35 g) of unsaturated fats, which are easy to find in cooking oils and margarine as well as fish and nuts.

* In general, fats are also the greatest source of calories compared to other parts of food, at 9 calories per gram of fat. That said, the Canada Food Guide advises against avoiding nutritious food just because of their fat content, particularly when planning meals for children.

-- Convert fat grams to teaspoons (used to calculate # of unsaturated fat grams per day): https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_to_convert_fat_grams_into_teaspoons