Fat has gotten a "bad rap" in years past. As one of three major macro-nutrients in food [the other 2 being carbohydrate & protein], the universe intended for us to eat fat! Somehow in recent years, we've taken the glorious gift of "fat" and tried to eliminate it from our diets. The thought process seemed to make sense, if we eliminate fat from our diet, we will be skinnier and healthier - it must be the fat in our diet making Americans fat, contributing to the obesity epidemic. Yet the "low fat" fad didn't get us any better results. In fact, the low fat fad created fatter Americans.

Read more: Why is a Low-Fat Diet Not Healthy for My Child?

Is there such a thing as a Good fat? Yes! There are different types of fats and some are needed by the body to produce energy and maintain cellular structure.

Read more: Essential Fatty What?

Your child's brain is so busy working 24 hours a day - it needs brain food flowing to it constantly like amino acids from Powerful Proteins; vitamins and minerals from plant foods; Friendly Fats from foods and supplements; and glucose in the form of blood sugar. Unlike all those chipmunks this time of the year, the brain does not have the ability to store food for when it needs energy later.

Read more: Is Your Child's Brain Hungry?

What healthy fats and oils should you have in your kitchen? Healthy fats are very important for all of us, but especially for developing children. They provide building blocks for cell membranes and they are also necessary to absorb certain vitamins from our food.  Fat also keeps us full a little longer, not to mention it adds great flavor to our foods.

Read more: Healthy Fats and Oils

Essential fatty acids [EFAs] are called essential because your body does not make them; you have to consume them in your diet. So you are what you eat! The amount of these fats in your diet will affect your body's balance of eicosanoids. Eicosanoids are signaling molecules that affect virtually every cell in your body. Your body makes these signalingmolecules from 2 types of EFAs: omega-3 and omega-6. In general, eicosanoids made from omega-3 fat promote healing and decrease inflammation in the body [anti-inflammatory], whereas those made from omega-6 fat promote inflammation in the body [pro-inflammatory]. So consuming more omega-3 fats promotes healing by decreasing inflammation throughout the body.

Read more: Good Fat, Bad Fat

Food consists of three major macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Fat contains more energy than either protein or carbohydrates. Fat is essential for forming cell membranes and for hormone production. Inadequate fat intake can lead to vitamin deficiency, since fat acts as a carrier for fat-soluble vitamins, including Vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fat is found in both animal and vegetable products, adds flavor to food, and satisfies hunger as well. 

Read more: Should I Eat a Low-Fat Diet?

Think of DHA as "the brain food" because it supplies two essential nutritious fats to the brain, commonly known as omega 6 and omega 3. Getting enough DHA is most important while baby is still in the womb, when an infant's brain grows faster than at any other time in her life, and during the first year of baby's life, when her brain triples in size. DHA is also critical for eye development since the retina contains large concentrations of DHA.Just how important is DHA for brain development? Consider these research findings:

Read more: DHA: The Latest Fad?