Unsaturated fat: includes polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat. Both types are predominantly found in plant products. Examples of polyunsaturated fat food sources include soybean, sunflower, fish and corn oils. Monounsaturated fat is found in high content in olive, peanut, and canola oils.
Several studies reveal that replacement of foods high in saturated fatty acids with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat rich foods reduces the total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Therefore, consumption of foods high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids is suggested to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
In the following table is a list of unsaturated fat food sources and their corresponding estimate of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat content. With in each catagory, the food items are listed from high to low for monounsaturated fat content.
| Unsaturated fat food sources | Polyunsaturated fat content (gram/100 grams food) | Monounsaturated fat content (gram/100 grams food) |
|---|---|---|
| Nuts | ||
| Nuts, macadamia nuts, dry roasted, with salt added | 1.50 | 59.27 |
| Nuts, hazelnuts or filberts | 7.92 | 45.65 |
| Nuts, pecans | 21.62 | 40.80 |
| Nuts, almonds | 12.22 | 32.16 |
| Nuts, mixed nuts, oil roasted, with peanuts, with salt added | 13.30 | 31.70 |
| Nuts, mixed nuts, dry roasted, with peanuts, with salt added | 10.77 | 31.39 |
| Nuts, cashew nuts, dry roasted, with salt added | 7.84 | 27.32 |
| Nuts, cashew nuts, oil roasted, with salt added | 8.55 | 25.92 |
| Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched | 20.58 | 24.55 |
| Nuts, pistachio nuts, dry roasted, with salt added | 13.90 | 24.22 |
| Nuts, pine nuts, dried | 34.07 | 18.77 |
| Nuts, pine nuts, dried | 34.07 | 18.77 |
| Nuts, walnuts, english | 47.17 | 8.93 |
| Nuts, coconut meat, dried (desiccated), sweetened, shredded | 0.39 | 1.51 |
| Nuts, coconut meat, raw | 0.37 | 1.42 |
| Nuts, chestnuts, european, roasted | 0.87 | 0.76 |
|
Peanuts
|
||
| Peanuts, all types, oil-roasted, with salt | 15.27 | 25.94 |
| Peanuts, all types, dry-roasted, with salt | 15.69 | 24.64 |
| Peanuts, all types, dry-roasted, without salt | 15.69 | 24.64 |
| Peanut butter, chunk style, with salt | 14.80 | 24.56 |
| Peanut butter, smooth style, with salt | 13.87 | 23.71 |
| Vegatable oils | ||
| Oil, vegetable safflower, salad or cooking, oleic, over 70% (primary safflower oil of commerce) | 14.35 | 74.65 |
| Oil, olive, salad or cooking | 10.53 | 72.96 |
| Oil, peanut, salad or cooking | 32.00 | 46.20 |
| Oil, soybean, salad or cooking, (hydrogenated) | 37.60 | 43.00 |
| Oil, sesame, salad or cooking | 41.70 | 39.70 |
| Oil, soybean, salad or cooking, (hydrogenated) and cottonseed | 48.10 | 29.50 |
| Oil, vegetable, corn, industrial and retail, all purpose salad or cooking | 54.68 | 27.57 |
| Oil, vegetable, sunflower, linoleic, (approx. 65%) | 65.70 | 19.50 |