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A small amount of fat is good for you. Too much bad (saturated) fat in your diet can increase your risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases.
There are lots of things you can do to eat less bad fats. Replacing some of them with healthy (unsaturated) fat will keep your heart healthy and manage your weight.
We all need to eat a small amount of fat to have a healthy and balanced diet. The right amount of fat helps our bodies to:
When we eat more fat than our bodies need, the excess from our food is turned into body fat. We need some body fat to function properly and be physically active. But having too much body fat, especially around your waist, can increase your risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases. It can also make you feel more tired, give you joint pain and make you snore while you sleep.
Having a healthy weight can give you more energy, keep your heart healthy, and help you sleep better.
More than 3 in 5 people are living with extra weight or obesity in the UK. Our information hub is here to help. Find easy tips to lose weight gradually, simple recipes to fit around your routine and our 10 minute workout.
There are four main types of fat in our diets. They are:
Monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat are ‘healthy’ fats. They can help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a fatty substance in your blood.
Saturated fat and trans fat are ‘unhealthy’ fats. They can raise your ‘bad’ (non-HDL) cholesterol in your blood. Too much cholesterol can increase your risk of having:
Cutting down on foods and drinks that are high in saturated and trans fats will help to keep your heart healthy and maintain your weight. You can replace some of them with unsaturated fats.
Types of fats |
Types of foods |
|
MonounsaturatedHave these healthy fats in small amounts. |
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Peanut butter, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts and pistachios. Rapeseed oil, olive oil, olives and avocados. |
PolyunsaturatedHave these healthy fats in small amounts. They supply omega-3 and omega-6. Your body can’t make these important nutrients on its own. |
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Oily fish like kippers, mackerel and salmon. Rapeseed oil, sunflower oil and corn oil. Some nuts like walnuts, pine nuts, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. |
SaturatedReduce how much you eat these unhealthy fats by swapping some of them for unsaturated fats. |
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Processed and fatty meats like sausages, ham, burgers and bacon. Hard cheeses like cheddar. Whole milk, cream and ice cream. Butter, lard, ghee, suet, palm oil and coconut oil. |
TransLimit how much you eat these unhealthy fats as much as you can. |
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Fried foods and takeaways. Snacks like biscuits, cakes, pies and pastries. Hard margarines made with hydrogenated oil. |
The UK government recommends that:
Most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat. The nutrition labels on your food’s packaging will show you the amount of total fat and saturated fat you are eating. Looking at the amount of saturated fat in your food will help you keep to the recommended daily intake.
We tend to eat more saturated fats than trans fats. But you may want to check your food’s nutrition labels for trans fats. They are usually listed as ‘hydrogenated fats’ or ‘hydrogenated vegetable oils’ in the ingredients.
It can be confusing to understand what fat does to your body and how much you should eat. Watch our 3 minute video to learn about healthy fats, unhealthy fats and which foods contain them.
A lower fat option might not be better for you. For a food or drink to be labelled as:
Sometimes, the fat will be replaced with more sugar or salt to make it taste like the original product. This might not make the lower fat option healthier.
Even if your food’s packaging says it’s lower fat, you might want to check its nutrition label. You can check the amount of ‘total fat’ and the amount of ‘saturated fat’ per serving on the label.
Our recipe finder will help you take the stress out of planning yours and your family’s meals. Find quick recipes for meals and snacks to reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat. You’ll find tasty ideas for all dietary requirements and cuisines, even recipes to support diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
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Page last reviewed: September 2021
Next review due: September 2024