Quick—is fat good or bad? Limiting fat intake is good, but it’s also important to get enough “good” fats in your diet while limiting the “bad” fat. So which is which? Here’s a quick guide.

BAD FAT
Bad fats come in two forms: saturated fat and trans fat. Saturated fats raise both your “good” cholesterol, HDL, and your bad cholesterol, LDL. High levels of LDL increase your risk of heart disease, thus earning its “bad” designation. Good cholesterol, meanwhile, is believed to carry excess bad cholesterol away from the arteries, slowing the buildup that causes heart disease. Trans fats, meanwhile, get their bad reputation because they serve up a double whammy by raising your bad cholesterol while lowering your good cholesterol.

Limiting your intake of bad fats is part of a good eating strategy. To avoid saturated fats, limit animal fats in any form—choose lean cuts of red meat and low-fat and fat-free dairy products. You’ll also want to avoid palm, palm kernel and coconut oils.

To be totally trans fat free, stay clear of anything that contains the words “partially hydrogenated” in its ingredients list. The government has started requiring the amount of trans fats in food to be listed on the nutritional label. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows manufacturers to list anything with less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving as zero. Trans fats are also found in many fried foods and commercially baked goods.

GOOD FAT
Good fats, called essential fatty acids, include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. You won’t see them on nutrition labels, but you can find them in fish, nuts, seeds, soybeans, canola oil, dark leafy greens and avocados. The good fats found in these foods make cell membranes more flexible, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and improve the overall cardiovascular system.

To increase your good fat intake, eat two to three servings of fish per week—or talk to your doctor about taking fish oil supplements. In cooking, canola oil contains the most omega-3, but olive and grape seed oils are also good choices. Olive oil, nuts and seeds all contain monounsaturated fat, which may help control blood glucose as well. Of course, both good and bad fats are very high in calories, so be sure to take that into account as you work good fat into your diet.

We’ve become conditioned to thinking that all fats are bad and should be avoided. But knowing the benefits and hazards of each kind of fat will help you enjoy them guilt free.