Eating too much saturated fat can raise the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood. A high level of LDL cholesterol in your blood increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.
What are saturated fats?
Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature.
How do saturated fats affect my health?
Saturated fats are found in animal-based foods like beef, pork, poultry, full-fat dairy products and eggs and tropical oils like coconut, and palm. Because they are typically solid at room temperature, they are sometimes called “solid fats.” Saturated fats can cause problems with your cholesterol levels, which can increase your risk of heart disease. Replacing foods that are high in saturated fat with healthier options can lower risk of heart disease.
What foods contain saturated fat?
Saturated fats occur naturally in many foods. Most come from animal sources, including meat and dairy products, as well as tropical fats like coconut, palm and palm kernel.
Examples of foods with saturated fat are:
- beef
- lamb
- pork
- poultry, especially with skin
- beef fat (tallow)
- lard and cream
- butter
- cheese
- ice cream
- coconut
- palm oil
- palm kernel oil
- some baked and fried foods
AHA Recommendation
The American Heart Association recommends aiming for a dietary pattern that achieves 5% to 6% of calories from saturated fat.
For example, if you need about 2,000 calories a day, no more than 120 of them should come from saturated fat.
That’s about 13 grams of saturated fat per day.
Remember the big picture, your overall eating pattern. Apply this general guidance regardless of where your food is prepared or consumed:
- Balance calorie intake with calorie needs to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
- Choose whole grains, lean and plant-based protein and a variety of fruits and vegetables.
- Limit salt, sugar, animal fat, processed foods and alcohol.
What are alternatives to replace saturated fats in the foods I eat?
As part of an overall heart-healthy dietary pattern, choose lean meats and poultry without skin. Prepare them without added saturated and trans fat.
Eat foods made with liquid vegetable oil but not tropical oils. It also means eating fish and nuts. You also might try to replace some of the meat you eat with beans or legumes.
There’s a lot of conflicting information about saturated fats. Should I eat them or not?
The American Heart Association recommendslimiting saturated fats – which are found in butter, cheese, red meat and other animal-based foods, and tropical oils. Decades of sound science has proven it can raise your “bad” cholesterol and put you at higher risk for heart disease.
The more important thing to remember is the overall dietary picture. Saturated fats are just one piece of the puzzle. Eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains is a way to achieving an overall healthy eating pattern.
When you hear about the latest “diet of the day” or a new or odd-sounding theory about food, consider the source. The American Heart Association makes dietary recommendations only after carefully considering the latest scientific evidence.
FAQs
Saturated fat is a type of dietary fat. It is one of the unhealthy fats, along with trans fat. These fats are most often solid at room temperature. Foods like butter, palm and coconut oils, cheese, and red meat have high amounts of saturated fat.
Which saturated fat is bad for you? ›
Should I eat them or not? The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fats – which are found in butter, cheese, red meat and other animal-based foods, and tropical oils. Decades of sound science has proven it can raise your “bad” cholesterol and put you at higher risk for heart disease.
Which food is saturated fat? ›
Foods high in saturated fats include:
- Foods baked or fried using saturated fats.
- Meats, including beef, lamb, pork as well as poultry, especially with skin.
- Lard.
- Dairy products like butter and cream.
- Whole or 2% milk.
- Whole-milk cheese or yogurt.
- Oils from coconuts, palm fruits, or palm kernels.
Saturated fat guidelines
The government recommends that: men should not eat more than 30g of saturated fat a day. women should not eat more than 20g of saturated fat a day. children should have less.
Is saturated fat belly fat? ›
While subjects on the MUFA-rich diet lost 3.75 pounds (1.7 kg) of fat (despite still eating a relatively high amount of carbs), subjects on the saturated fat diet gained 1 kg, and most of this fat was deposited in the abdomen (i.e., dangerous visceral fat).
Are eggs high in saturated fat? ›
But a large egg contains little saturated fat — about 1.5 grams (g). And research has confirmed that eggs also contain many healthy nutrients: lutein and zeaxanthin, which are good for the eyes; choline, which is good for the brain and nerves; and various vitamins (A, B, and D).
How to eat less saturated fat? ›
To limit the amount of saturated fats you eat, choose lower-fat and lean options of dairy, meat, and poultry — like skim milk, lean beef, and grilled chicken breast without the skin. Eating too many foods high in saturated fats can be bad for your health.
What foods have no saturated fat? ›
Here are 13 low fat foods that are good for your health.
- Leafy greens. Leafy greens, such as kale , collards , and spinach , contain virtually no fat and are loaded with beneficial minerals and vitamins, including: ...
- Fruits. ...
- Beans and legumes. ...
- Sweet potatoes. ...
- Tart cherry juice. ...
- Cruciferous vegetables. ...
- Mushrooms. ...
- Garlic.
Let's take a look at the peanut butter package. One serving (about 2 tablespoons) has 3.3 grams of saturated fat and 12.3 grams of unsaturated fat, or about 80% unsaturated fat. That puts it up there with olive oil in terms of the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fat.
What are fatty foods to avoid? ›
Foods high in fat to avoid
These foods are rich in bad fats, namely, saturated and trans fats and should be avoided: Deep-fried foods (French fries, fritters, chips) Cakes, muffins, cookies. Ice cream and other frozen desserts.
Avocados. Avocados are unique in the world of fruits. Whereas most fruits primarily contain carbs, avocados are loaded with fats. In fact, avocados are about 80% fat, by calories, making them even higher in fat than most animal foods.
What is worse for cholesterol, sugar or fat? ›
While it's common knowledge that saturated fats can raise your cholesterol, there can be another culprit: A diet high in sugary foods. From sweetened coffee every morning to a can of soda to go along with your evening meal, the added sugars in your daily diet may take a toll on your cholesterol over time.
Will I lose weight if I cut out saturated fat? ›
A 2022 review found that saturated fat is more likely to be deposited in visceral fat around the stomach than unsaturated fats. The researchers also noted that eating more unsaturated fats may help promote weight loss.
What are the 5 foods that burn belly fat? ›
Five foods that may help burn belly fat include:
- foods with soluble fiber like fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
- foods with protein like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
- fatty fish like tuna and salmon.
- foods with probiotics like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi.
- green tea.
10 surprising ways to lose belly fat
- Focus on plant fibre. Soluble fibre, found in plant foods like flaxseeds and avocado, has been found to help reduce abdominal fat. ...
- Pack in the protein. ...
- Eat calcium and vitamin D-rich foods. ...
- Choose an eating 'window' ...
- Get sound sleep. ...
- Quit smoking.
(16) So while saturated fat may not be as harmful as once thought, evidence clearly shows that unsaturated fat remains the healthiest type of fat.
Is LDL actually bad for you? ›
LDL cholesterol levels are a major factor in risk for cardiovascular disease. New guidelines on assessing people's risk for cardiovascular disease emphasize the importance of LDL cholesterol. For those with known heart disease whose LDL is 70 mg/dl or higher, medication can help bring levels down.
Are polyunsaturated fats good or bad for you? ›
Polyunsaturated fats can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood, which can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. They also provide nutrients to help develop and maintain your body's cells. Oils rich in polyunsaturated fats also provide vitamin E, an important antioxidant vitamin.
Is olive oil saturated or unsaturated? ›
Most of the fat we eat should be unsaturated – that includes olive oil and other unsaturated oils, like sunflower and rapeseed, as well as nuts, seeds and oily fish. Switching from saturated to unsaturated fats is the main thing to focus on in terms of fat and heart health.
