Definition: What "saturated" fats are saturated with is hydrogen atoms. "Unsaturated" fats do not have hydrogen atoms at every available bonding site on the molecule. Monounsaturated fats have one of these bonds which lack hydrogen. Monounsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature, but can turn solid in the refrigerator.
Monounsaturated fats are commonly thought of as "healthy" fats. There is evidence that they may lower our risk of heart disease and stroke. Olive oil is most commonly associated with this type of fat, as 75% of its fat is monounsaturated.
Also Known As: oleic acid (which is one type of monounsaturated fat), monounsaturated fatty acids
Examples: Besides olive oil, sources include macadamia nuts (80% of fat is monounsaturated), avocados (71%), almonds (70%), canola oil (59%), and peanuts and peanut oil (46%). Also, while regular sunflower and safflower oils are not good sources of monounsaturated fat, recently the seeds have been bred to produce more of this type of oil. This oil is usually called "high oleic" sunflower or safflower oil, and can contain up to 81% monounsaturated fat. Interestingly, almost half of the fat in beef is also monounsaturated.
