Saturated fats are found in foods such as fat on meat, chicken skin, full fat dairy products, butter and take-away foods. Saturated fats are always listed on the nutrition panel so when choosing between foods in the supermarket, compare the nutrition information panel on the back and choose the one lowest in saturated fat.
Five quick tips to reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet :
- Swap full fat dairy foods for reduced, low or no fat dairy foods for all family members more than two years old. You'll remove 4 kg of saturated fat from your diet in a year if you do this with 1 cup of milk, two slices of cheese and a small tub of yoghurt a day. You can remove even more by choosing no fat foods.
- Swap butter for a margarine spread made from canola, sunflower, olive or dairy blends. Just doing this with your daily toast will remove 2.85 kg of saturated fat from your diet in one year.
- Cut the fat. Trim all visible fat from meat, remove skin from chicken and try to avoid processed meat (e.g. sausages and salami) unless it has the Heart Foundation Tick.
- Eat two to three serves of oily fish a week. A serve of fish is 150 g, which is about the size of your whole hand. Add fish oil capsules and omega-3 enriched foods and drinks to your diet if you’re not eating enough oily fish.
- Choose healthier treats. Cakes, pastries and biscuits are one of the main sources of saturated fat in our diets. Raisin bread, Tick approved cereal and nut bars, or Tick approved sweet biscuits are healthier options. Limit pastries, pizza, fried fish, hamburgers, hot chips and creamy pasta to once a week.
Healthy heart tip
Lean meat can be more expensive but you can save money by bulking out meaty dishes like casseroles by adding vegetables, lentils or beans.
