6 Kinds Of Fat, And Which Foods Are Highest In Them

When checking out a food product's nutritional label, you'll notice that the fat content is listed as "Total Fat." But sodium isn't listed as "Total Sodium," and Calories aren't listed as "Total Calories," right? So why would it be called "Total Fat?" The reason is the fact that there are several different types of fat found in many foods, and the listing on the package is the sum total. Not all fats are created equal, so we're helping to demystify them by listing them all, and which foods contain the most of each.

6 Kinds of Fat, and Which Foods are Highest In Them (Slideshow)

When we think of fat, we tend to think of greasy carnival fare or crispy bacon. But there are actually six different varieties of fat, and only one of them is the kind that goes dripping down your arm when you eat a juicy burger.

At their core, fats are essentially nutrients whose main purpose is to give us energy, containing about nine calories per gram. They also help aid in the absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins, like A, D, E, and K.

There are actually six different types of fat: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated, and trans fats, with Omega-6 and Omega-3 the two varieties of polyunsaturated fat. They each come in many different formats, and they each serve different functions. Needless to say, some are far worse for you than others, but some are actually not only very healthy but necessary to keep our bodies in good working order.

So read on to learn all about the different types of fats, and which foods contain the most of each. And the next time that someone says that olive oil is good for you, you'll know exactly why.