Saturated fat is a type of dietary fat that is most often solid at room temperature. As compared to monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, saturated fats have a higher melting point. It is one of the unhealthy fats that can increase the amount of bad or LDL cholesterol in the body. Once LDL accumulated on the walls of the arteries, it would be hard for the blood to freely flow to and from the heart to various parts of the body. This, in turn, could lead to a clogged artery that can cause a heart attack and stroke.
However, you don’t need to completely avoid saturated fats. According to the American Heart Association, you can have 5%-6% of saturated fats. It only means that you only have to LIMIT saturated fat intake.
List Of Foods High In Saturated Fats
Deep Fried Foods
Saturated Fat (100 g) – 17 g; 1 Ounce (28 g) – 4.6 g; Per Teaspoon (5 g) – 0.36 g
Do you love fried foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack? Fried foods such as French fries, fried chicken, and batter-fried foods are high in saturated and trans fats, calories, and often salt – which increases your risk for obesity, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
Animal Fats
Saturated Fat (100 g) – 39 g; Per Tablespoon (14 g) – 4.55 g; Per Teaspoon (4 g) – 2 g
Some of the animal fats that bring the taste of any dish to the next levels are lamb fat, duck fat, goose fat, chicken fat, lard, and meat drippings. Though they really taste good, you need to be very careful in consuming them. As a substitute for animal fats, you can use homemade ghee or herbed oils.
Processed Meat
Saturated Fat (100 g) – 14.9 g; 1 Ounce (28 g) – 1.6 g; 3 slices (5 g) – 6 g
Aside from containing animal fats, processed meat like bacon, sausage, chorizo, and salami are high in sodium and saturated fats. It would be great if you consume more beans, mushrooms, boiled lentils, and lean meat like chicken breast to get protein instead of processed meats.
Cheese
Saturated Fat (100 g) – 21 g; 1 Cubic Inch (17 g) – 3.6 g; 1 Slice (1 oz) – 6 g
Some of you are addicted to cheese, which also has many beneficial nutritional qualities. You can have your cheese in salads or with bread, use it as a dip, or just nibble it. However, overconsumption of it can put your heart health at risk. For you to avoid this from happening, you need to limit you cheese consumption and stay active to keep your heart fit.
Mayonnaise
Saturated Fat (100 g) – 12 g; 1 Tablespoon (14 g) – 1.6 g; 1 Teaspoon (5 g) – 0.36 g
Mayonnaise has a creamy texture and feel-good taste. It is usually added to a boring salad to turn it into a delicious one. However, mayonnaise has high amounts of saturated fats.
Simply prepared a low-calorie salad dressing with oil, and use cottage cheese in sandwiches wraps. Remember to eat no more than 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise per day.
Butter
Saturated Fat (100 g) – 51 g; 1 Tablespoon (14.2 g) – 7 g; 1 Teaspoon (4.7 g) – 2 g
Butter has a rich flavor and creamy texture. It is commonly used in baking to add volume and texture in baked goods and desserts. Unfortunately, you should consume as less butter as you can because its saturated fat content is way higher than mayonnaise. You can only have 1-2 teaspoons of it per day.
Cake
Saturated Fat (100 g) – 5-15 g; 1 cake (1 kg) – 62 g; 1 piece (14 g) – 6 g
Having a sedentary lifestyle along with the habit of eating cake very often, increases your risk for heart diseases. Cakes and pastries are known to be a bad cholesterol level lifters. To lower your chance of health trouble, you can make your healthier version of cakes at home using natural sweeteners (like honey), multigrain flour, and low-cal dark brown sugar.
Whipped Cream
Saturated Fat (100 g) – 23 g; 1 Tablespoon (15 g) – 3 g; Per Teaspoon (5 g) – 0.36 g
Some of you love to drizzle whipped cream in your coffee or on top of a bowl of fruit. For you to know, the cream is high in calories and dangerous fats and can make you gain weight quickly. Instead of whipped cream, you can consume sour cream.
List Of Foods With Healthy Fats That Are Necessary For Maintaining A Healthy Body
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Ghee
- Eggs
- Avocado
- Sesame seeds
- Full-fat milk
- Ground Flaxseeds
- Chia seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Extra Virgin Olive oil
Small quantities of saturated fats are not bad but you should always monitor your intake. Always check on the amounts of saturated fats present in the foods you consume so that in the long run you’ll be able to protect your health.