Fats That Are Good for You
Which ones to put in regular rotation in your kitchen—and those you may want to limit
Many people have long worried about the fat in their diets, but now things seem more puzzling than ever. “There’s changing science and misinformation, and that creates a perfect storm for confusion,” says Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University in Boston. In truth, the kind of fats you eat is more important than the total amount (if you keep calories in check). No fat is off-limits, but some are healthier than others. Use this as a guide to prioritize better-for-you fats for cooking and flavoring foods.
Healthy Fats
Unsaturated fats from plants should be used in place of saturated fat, which raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Unsaturated fats include:
Eat Less of These Fats
Limit your intake of fats and oils high in saturated fat. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends getting no more than 10 percent of your daily calories from saturated fat. Where you’ll find it:
• Butter. Consider using it sparingly: Every teaspoon of butter added to food or bread per day increased mortality risk by 4 percent, according to a 2025 JAMA study that followed more than 200,000 men and women for up to 33 years.
• Beef tallow. Predominantly saturated fat, beef tallow is one of the least healthy cooking fats, Mozaffarian says, especially compared with fruit, nut, or seed oils.
• Tropical oils. Coconut oil is often touted as being healthy, but a 2020 review published in the journal Circulation found that it raised both total and LDL cholesterol. And palm oil is rich in palmitic acid, the type of saturated fat that’s most linked to adverse changes in LDL levels, Mozaffarian says.
What About the Fat in Meat, Fish, and Dairy?
The fats in meat, fish, and dairy also contribute to your overall intake. Below is a breakdown of their health effects. But keep in mind that what you eat in place of higher-fat foods matters. Those high in refined starch and sugars aren’t healthy substitutes.
• Red meat. Frequently replacing it with plant proteins (beans, tofu, and nuts) is probably best. But if you choose to eat red meat, stick with small portions (about 4 ounces) and with lean cuts, like sirloin or top round, most of the time, the American Heart Association says.
• Fish. Fatty fish, like salmon and sardines, has heart-healthy omega-3 fats. And when it replaces fatty cuts of red meat in your diet, it helps lower saturated fat intake.
• Dairy. The AHA recommends prioritizing low-fat or nonfat options. But some research points to a neutral or possible positive effect of full-fat dairy on health. Yogurt and cheese have been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. And “they may have some beneficial effects on blood pressure and heart health,” says Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, the Evan Pugh University Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University in University Park. The fermentation process or their probiotics, which support digestive health and immunity, may be the reason.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of Consumer Reports On Health.
