In spite of public debate to the contrary, the latest research does not dramatically alter existing knowledge: our bodies work best when we get a sufficient daily intake of soft vegetable fat. Hidden hard fats, which we often eat unknowingly, pose a major challenge in the Finnish diet.
Well what about butter, then? Butter is fine for special occasions, but isn't really recommended for daily use – it could tip your total fat balance too far towards hard fats. Maybe the best advice would be to 'drizzle a little rapeseed oil on your salad every day'. This will provide essential fatty acids and ensure that your diet is geared towards soft fats.
Good fat is 'soft'. It's present in vegetable oils, vegetable margarines, fatty fish, nuts and seeds.
The recommendations for using hard, i.e. saturated fat are lower than before because using a smaller amount of saturated fat helps you keep your cholesterol values normal. Butter, cream, full-fat cheeses, sausages, fatty meat and coconut butter contain hard fat.
Compare the options and choose wisely
Take care of your heart and choose 'soft' fat:
- Sour cream sauce or an oil-based salad dressing?
- A Danish pastry or a wheat bun?
- Butter or vegetable margarine?
- A salami sandwich without any spread or a ham sandwich with margarine?
- A cheese sandwich without any spread or a light cheese sandwich with margarine?