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There are two main types of fat found in food – saturated and unsaturated. Eating a diet that is high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood, over time.
This increases your chance of developing heart disease. So it’s a good idea to reduce your intake of saturated fat. You can do this by:
Foods that are high in saturated fat include:
Most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat – about 20% more than the recommended maximum amount.
Look out for the figure for ‘saturates’ or ‘sat fat’ on the label because this tells you how much saturated fat is in the food. High is more than 5g sat fat per 100g Low is 1.5g sat fat per 100g If the amount of sat fat per 100g is in between these figures, then that is a medium level. Some foods have ‘traffic light’ labels on the front of the pack. These show you if a food is high, medium or low in fat, sat fat, sugars and salt. Red = High Amber = Medium Green = Low Try to choose foods that are low in sat fat as often as you can, or go for medium. If foods are high in sat fat, try not to have them too often, or eat them in smaller amounts. When you’re shopping, compare similar foods – there can be a big difference in how much sat fat they contain. And choose the option that is lower in sat fat.
If you would like to cut down on saturated fat, take the 21-day Sat Fat Challenge. It involves making a small change to what you eat every day for 21 days. So, to get started today, just pick your first challenge from the list below. If you have an iPhone, an iPod Touch, or a web-enabled phone you can also take the challenge using our phone app (find out more at the link below).
Bolognese bliss Is spaghetti Bolognese the most popular meal in your house? Today, use a leaner mince. It’s lower in saturated fat! Pizza-topping tactics Enjoy a pizza today but choose a lower-fat topping such as vegetables, ham, fish or prawns, instead of pepperoni, salami or extra cheese. Skim to be trim Today, skim the fat off the top of your casserole or stew before serving. Just for the halibut Make fish pie tonight using reduced-fat spread and 1% fat milk. What a spread! Use a reduced-fat spread on your bread today, instead of butter. Beef up your chilli Today, try the official dish of the US state of Texas – but use leaner mince to reduce the saturated fat content. Or try it vegetarian-style for a change! Smashing mash Make mashed potato with reduced-fat spread instead of butter, and 1% fat milk or skimmed milk, instead of whole or semi-skimmed milk. Don’t chicken out! Take the skin off your chicken before you eat it tonight and reduce the saturated fat content. Easy cheesy Using cheese to flavour a dish or sauce tonight? Try a strong-tasting cheese, such as mature Cheddar, because then you’ll need less. Chop chop Trim the fat off your chops or steak tonight, to cut down on saturated fat. Eggs eleven Fancy eggs for breakfast? Skip the oil and butter. Poach, boil or dry-fry your eggs this morning and get the day off to a great start. Get saucy Tonight, try a tomato sauce on your pasta. It’s lower in saturated fat than a creamy or cheesy sauce. Breakfast club Today, use 1% fat milk on your cereal. It has about half the saturated fat of semi-skimmed. Be a drain brain If you’re making a dish containing mince, brown it first and then drain off the fat before adding other ingredients. Get grilling Use the grill instead of the frying pan today, whatever meat you’re cooking. What a grate idea! Make cheese go further by grating cheese instead of slicing it. This can mean you use less. Healthy for you and your wallet! Give potatoes a roasting Make your roast potatoes healthier by cutting them into larger pieces than usual and using just a little sunflower or olive oil. Unsat that fat Today, when you’re cooking, use an unsaturated oil such as sunflower, rapeseed or olive, rather than butter, lard or ghee. Tips for chips Choose thick, straight-cut chips instead of French fries or crinkle-cut, and if you’re making your own, pop them in the oven with a drizzle of sunflower oil, rather than deep-frying. The milky way Today, swap any large whole-milk lattes for regular ‘skinny’ ones. No mistaken bacon Craving a bacon buttie? Choose back bacon instead of streaky bacon today. And if you’re cooking your own, grill the bacon instead of frying. Curry favour If you’re out and about or ordering an Indian takeaway tonight, go for dry or tomato-based dishes, such as tandoori or madras, instead of creamy curries such as korma, passanda or massala. And choose plain rice and chapatti instead of pilau rice and naan. The munch bunch If you’re out tonight and get the late-night munchies, this challenge is for you. At the kebab shop, go for a shish kebab with pitta bread and salad, rather than a doner kebab. Low-fat chow Treat yourself to a Chinese takeaway tonight, but choose a lower-fat dish such as steamed fish, chicken chop suey or Szechwan prawns. My Thai Thai tonight? Try a stir-fried or steamed dish containing chicken, fish or vegetables. Watch out for curries containing coconut milk, which is high in saturated fat, and if you do choose one of these, try not to eat all the sauce. For better or wurst Sausages tonight? Compare labels on the packs and choose the ones lower in saturated fat. And make sure you grill them instead of frying. Ready steady go! Compare the labels on different ready meals – there can be a big difference in saturated fat content. And pick the one lower in saturated fat. Snack attack If you need a snack today, try picking up some fruit, toast, a low-fat yoghurt or a handful of unsalted nuts, instead of chocolate, doughnuts, croissants or pastries. Drink up! Have 1% fat milk in all your hot drinks today. It has about half the saturated fat of semi-skimmed. Sweet success If you’re going to have something sweet, instead of cakes or biscuits, try having a currant bun, scone or some malt loaf – plain or with reduced-fat spread. Take the hurt out of yoghurt Today, choose a type of yoghurt lower in fat and saturated fat than the one you normally have. There can be a big difference between different products. Lean machine Today, ask your butcher for a lean cut, or compare labels on different types of meat and choose the one lower in saturated fat.