You can reduce the amount of fat in the food we eat by cooking food using a low fat method like

Practical tips to help you eat less fat, including saturated fat.

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At the shops

Eating lots of saturated fat can raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease.

Saturated fat is found in:

butter, ghee, suet, lard, coconut oil and palm oil
cakes
biscuits
fatty cuts of meat
sausages
bacon
cured meats like salami, chorizo and pancetta
cheese
pastries, such as pies, quiches, sausage rolls and croissants
cream, crème fraîche and sour cream
ice cream
coconut milk and coconut cream
milkshakes
chocolate and chocolate spreads

UK health guidelines recommend that:

the average man aged 19 to 64 years should eat no more than 30g of saturated fat a day
the average woman aged 19 to 64 years should eat no more than 20g of saturated fat a day

It's also recommended that people should reduce their overall fat intake and replace saturated fat with some unsaturated fat, including omega-3 fats.

Find out more about the risks of eating too much fat and the different types of fat.

Practical tips to help you specifically cut down on saturated fat:

At the shops

Nutrition labels on the front and back of packaging can help you cut down on saturated fat. Look out for "saturates" or "sat fat" on the label.

High: More than 5g saturates per 100g. May be colour-coded red.

Medium: Between 1.5g and 5g saturates per 100g. May be colour-coded amber.

Low: 1.5g saturates or less per 100g. May be colour-coded green.

This is an example of a label that shows an item is high in saturated fat because the saturates section is colour-coded red.

Aim to choose products with green or amber for saturated fat. There can be a big difference in saturated fat content between similar products.

Choose the food that's lower in saturated fat. Serving sizes can vary too, so make sure you're comparing like for like. The easiest way to do this is by looking at the nutritional content per 100g.

At home

Spaghetti bolognese: use a lower-fat mince, as it's lower in saturated fat. If you are not using lower-fat mince, brown the mince first, then drain off the fat before adding other ingredients. Alternatively, mix meat mince with a meat-free mince alternative.

Pizza: choose a lower-fat topping, such as vegetables, chicken, tuna and other seafood instead of extra cheese or cured meats like pepperoni, salami and bacon.

Fish pie: use reduced-fat spread and 1% fat milk to reduce the fat in the mash and sauce.

Chilli: use lower-fat mince or mix in a meat-free mince alternative. Or, make a vegetarian chilli using mixed beans, some lentils and vegetables. Beans and lentils can count towards your 5 A Day, too.

Chips: choose thick, straight-cut chips instead of french fries or crinkle-cut to reduce the surface area exposed to fat. If you're making your own, cook them in the oven with a little sunflower oil and the skins on, rather than deep frying.

Potatoes: make your roast potatoes healthier by cutting them into larger pieces than usual and using just a little sunflower or olive oil.

Mashed potato: use reduced-fat spread instead of butter, and 1% fat milk or skimmed milk instead of whole or semi-skimmed milk.

Chicken: go for leaner cuts, such as chicken breast. Before you eat it, take the skin off to reduce the saturated fat content.

Bacon: choose back bacon instead of streaky bacon, which contains more fat. Grill instead of frying.

Eggs: prepare eggs without oil or butter. Poach, boil or dry fry your eggs.

Pasta: try a tomato-based sauce on your pasta. It's lower in saturated fat than a creamy or cheesy sauce.

Milk: use 1% fat milk on your cereal and in hot drinks. It has about half the saturated fat of semi-skimmed.

Cheese: when using cheese to flavour a dish or sauce, try a strong-tasting cheese, such as reduced-fat mature cheddar, as you'll need less. Make cheese go further by grating instead of slicing it.

Yoghurt: choose a lower-fat and lower-sugar yoghurt. There can be a big difference between different products.

Eating out

Tips to help you cut down on saturated fat when eating out.

Coffee: swap large whole milk coffee for regular "skinny" ones. Avoid adding cream on top.

Curry: go for dry or tomato-based dishes, such as tandoori or madras, instead of creamy curries like korma, pasanda or masala. Choose plain rice and chapatti instead of pilau rice and naan.

Kebabs: go for a shish kebab with pitta bread and salad rather than a doner kebab.

Chinese: choose a lower-fat dish, such as steamed fish, chicken chop suey or szechuan prawns.

Thai: try a stir-fried or steamed dish containing chicken, fish or vegetables. Watch out for curries that contain coconut milk, which is high in saturated fat. If you choose one of these, try not to eat all the sauce.

Snack time: swap foods high in sugar, salt and fat, such as chocolate, doughnuts and pastries, for:

some fruit
wholegrain toast
low-fat and lower-sugar yoghurt
a small handful of unsalted nuts
a currant bun
a slice of fruit loaf
a slice of malt loaf

Limit total intake of fats and oils.
Avoid butter, stick margarine, shortening, lard, palm and coconut oils.
Limit mayonnaise, salad dressings, gravies and sauces, unless they are homemade with low-fat ingredients.
Limit chocolate.
Choose low-fat and nonfat products, such as low-fat mayonnaise, low-fat or non-hydrogenated peanut butter, low-fat or fat-free salad dressings and nonfat gravy.
Use vegetable oil, such as canola or olive oil.
Look for margarine that does not contain trans fatty acids.
Use nuts in moderate amounts.
Read ingredient labels carefully to determine both amount and type of fat present in foods. Limit saturated and trans fats.
Avoid high-fat processed and convenience foods.

Choose fish, chicken, turkey and lean meats.
Use dried beans, peas, lentils and tofu.
Limit egg yolks to three to four per week.
If you eat red meat, limit to no more than three servings per week and choose loin or round cuts.
Avoid fatty meats, such as bacon, sausage, franks, luncheon meats and ribs.
Avoid all organ meats, including liver.

Choose nonfat or low-fat milk, yogurt and cottage cheese.
Most cheeses are high in fat. Choose cheeses made from non-fat milk, such as mozzarella and ricotta cheese.
Choose light or fat-free cream cheese and sour cream.
Avoid cream and sauces made with cream.

Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
Use lemon juice, vinegar or "mist" olive oil on vegetables.
Avoid adding sauces, fat or oil to vegetables.

Choose whole-grain breads, cereals, pastas and rice.
Avoid high-fat snack foods, such as granola, cookies, pies, pastries, doughnuts and croissants.

Avoid deep fried foods.
Trim visible fat off meats and remove skin from poultry before cooking.
Bake, broil, boil, poach or roast poultry, fish and lean meats.
Drain and discard fat that drains out of meat as you cook it.
Add little or no fat to foods.
Use vegetable oil sprays to grease pans for cooking or baking.
Steam vegetables.
Use herbs or no-oil marinades to flavor foods.

UCSF Health medical specialists have reviewed this information. It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider.

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