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Fat Facts!
  • We need to eat fat to stay healthy

  • Fat has "essential fatty acids" - found only in the foods we eat

  • Fat is important for normal growth and development of children

  • Our body needs fat to absorb vitamin A, D, E, K

  • Fat adds taste and enjoyment to food

  • Eating too much fat is linked with higher risk of heart disease, obesity and some types of cancer

  • All foods contain fat, animal or vegetables, and have a mixture of different types of fat

  • Lower-fat meals are delicious and easy to prepare. Try Eating Light for recipe ideas!

  • To order A Matter of Fat resources, visit the order centre.

Quick Fact!

Did you know?
  • The largest amount of fat in the Canadian diet comes from fats and oils, which include butter/margarine, mayonnaise/salad dressings, and fat used for frying.

  • Only 7% of the fat in the Canadian diet comes from fresh meat like beef, pork, veal and lamb. Reference.

  • Today's beef is lower in fat than it was 20 years ago. Over the years Canadian beef producers have made major changes in breeding, feeding and grading practices.

  • When trimmed of all visible fat, all cuts of raw beef, except short ribs, qualify as lean, no more than 10% fat.

  • On average, 100 grams of raw lean ground beef - the size of a deck of cards or computer mouse - has 1/3 less fat than a chocolate bar and almost half the total fat is monounsaturated - a fat known to increase "good blood cholesterol". For more information, visit ground beef.
Find out how lean cuts of beef and lean and extra lean ground beef qualify for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada's Health Check™ program.

  New updated Matter of Fat resource will be available in fall of 2003.
Download Nutrition Perspective: Heart Healthy Eating with Lean Beef

*updated
health professional resource

*updated
consumer factsheet

Order For Healthy Lifestyles- Check Out the Goodness of Beef.
 
For nutrients in specific beef cuts, visit Nutrient Data.