Why does MFP count mono/poly unsaturated as bad?

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ajnb88
ajnb88 Posts: 339 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Just a little thing I noticed - after breakfast I checked my nutrition to see how I was doing, and the first thing I notice are the big red numbers next to polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat intake. These came from the olive oil I used for my omelet, so I know they aren't the unhealthy kind.

One of the things that so many people on here and elsewhere try to drill in is that good fats are essential, and that cutting out all fat is not healthy - mfp itself says you need a reasonable amount, but why are those healthy ones targeted to zero? Is it just precautionary, to stop people going overboard? Is there a way to change it so it doesn't automatically scream failure at the first sight of olive oil?

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  • shutterbug282
    shutterbug282 Posts: 588 Member
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    I think if you go over anything that MFP is automatically set to it goes to a big red number. Since you know they're healthy fats, I would ignore it. :)
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    I think it's because polyunsaturated fat isn't that great for you and should prolly be limited in a balanced diet.

    It's a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand it provides essential fatty acids like omega 3, but on the flip side when heated it is prone to oxidation.

    Personally I would opt for cooking with saturated fats and steer clear of sunflower oils and such!
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
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    You can set those numbers yourself if you know the amounts you want to hit. Just go into goals, then select "change goals" and then custom.

    The problem is that most entries and product labels do not distinguish between type of fat, unless it is saturated or trans, so those numbers are never right (kind of like potassium).

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