Many foods now carry labels saying "no cholesterol," but a closer inspection of the label will reveal the presence of other fats. If the manufacturer has substituted margarine (made from vegetable oils) for butter, the amount of fat calories in the product remains the same.
All animal fats contain cholesterol and are usually high in their proportion of saturated fat. While vegetable fats have no cholesterol, they may have a high amount of saturated fats, which can contribute to heart disease. Knowing the type of oil used can tell you the amount of saturated fat you are eating. For example, palm oil is often used in canned and fried foods as well as in baked goods. Of the calories in palm oil, 51 percent are saturated fat, 39 percent are monounsaturated fat, and 10 percent are polyunsaturated. Coconut oil, another inexpensive oil used often in baked goods, has a higher percentage of saturated fat than lard does. Over 90 percent of the calories in coconut oil are saturated fats. Corn oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil, on the other hand, are all vegetable fats that are high in polyunsaturates. By reading the labels on the products you buy, you can usually determine what oils have been used in the processing.