Fats: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

A culinary and nutritional comparison chart

A sporgasbord of oils, butters, and fatty foods representing different types of fats
Maximilian Stock Ltd. / Getty Images

Nutritionists often talk in terms of "good" fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and "bad" fats, like saturated and trans- fats. Here's a summary of the different categories of fats, broken down into the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

The Good

Monounsaturated Fat

  • Reduces overall cholesterol levels, and specifically LDL or "bad" cholesterol, while increasing levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol
  • Found in nuts and seeds, avocados, olive oil, and canola oil

Polyunsaturated Fat

  • Reduces overall cholesterol levels, and specifically LDL or "bad" cholesterol
  • Found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout, and sardines
  • Also in corn, safflower, sunflower, and soybean oils

The Bad

Saturated Fat

  • Increases overall cholesterol levels, specifically LDL or "bad" cholesterol
  • Found in animal-based foods such as meat, poultry, and eggs
  • Also in butter, cream, and other dairy products
  • Also in plant-based products such as coconut, cocoa butter, and "tropical oils" like coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil

The Ugly

Trans Fat

  • Increases levels of LDL or "bad" cholesterol and lowers levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol
  • Found in hydrogenated fat products such as margarine and vegetable shortenings
  • Also in packaged snack foods such as cookies, crackers, and chips
  • Also in fried foods from fast-food and other restaurants

The following table shows in grams, how much saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans-fats are contained in one tablespoon of various commonly used oils and fats.

Fat Comparison Chart

Fat (1 Tbsp)

Saturated
(grams)
Mono-unsaturated (grams) Poly-unsaturated (grams) Trans-fat (grams)
Safflower Oil 0.8 10.2 2.0 0.0
Canola Oil 0.9 8.2 4.1 0.0
Flaxseed Oil 1.3 2.5 10.2 0.0
Sunflower Oil 1.4 2.7 8.9 0.0
Margarine (stick) 1.6 4.2 2.4 3.0
Corn Oil 1.7 3.3 8.0 0.0
Olive Oil 1.8 10.0 1.2 0.0
Sesame Oil 1.9 5.4 5.6 0.0
Soybean Oil 2.0 3.2 7.8 0.0
Margarine (tub) 2.0 5.2 3.8 0.5
Peanut Oil 2.3 6.2 4.3 0.0
Cottonseed Oil 3.5 2.4 7.0 0.0
Vegetable Shortening 3.2 5.7 3.3 1.7
Chicken Fat 3.8 5.7 2.6 0.0
Lard (pork fat) 5.0 5.8 1.4 0.0
Beef Tallow 6.4 5.4 0.5 0.0
Palm Oil 6.7 5.0 1.2 0.0
Butter 7.2 3.3 0.5 0.0
Cocoa Butter 8.1 4.5 0.4 0.0
Palm Kernel Oil 11.1 1.6 0.2 0.0
Coconut Oil 11.8 0.8 0.2 0.0