Eating a diet that is high in saturated fat can increase the normal cholesterol levels in the blood, so when you are following a low-cholesterol diet plan you ought to try to keep your consumption of saturated fats to a bare minimum. Too much saturated fat not only causes extra weight but also raises the LDL choleterol in the blood meaning you may be more likely to confront heart problems in the future. This is why it is best to cut down on your fat intake and to eat food that contains unsaturated rather than saturated fat.
The food containing unsaturated fat is good for you and can help to lower your normal cholesterol levels. There are two main types of unsaturated fat — monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats (a lot of people will recognize the terms from television adverts for margarine). It is probably worth monitoring the amount of sugar and salt in your diet if you want to stay healthy.
How do I know how much fat is contained in my food?It can be tricky to tell the amount of fat contained in some food, so check the product labels. Manufacturers must state how much fat is contained measured in grams per hundred. Some manufacturers also give the breakdown for the quantity of saturated fat in it, or just “saturates” Using these figures can help you decide which foods to purchase when you are shopping. Be warned, though – as soon as you get used to checking food labels you will know how much saturated fat is contained in everyday foods and how easy it is to exceed your daily amount.
Is there a simple way of working out how much fat I should be eating?Having some fat in our diet helps the body absorb some vitamins, is a good source of energy and it provides essential fatty acids that the body can’t make itself. Between 25 and 35% of your total daily calories should come from fat in your diet, according to the FDA.
Here’s an easy way to work it out:: Find out what your recommended daily calorie intake should be, then multiply it by 25% first, then 35%ยท For example, if your daily calorie intake is 2,000, multiply 2,000 by 0.25, which is 500, and then multiply 2,000 by 0.35, which is 700.
While this is helpful, it is better to know how many grams of fat you can consume each day. As we know that 1 gram of fat produces 9 calories (whether it is saturated or unsaturated), all you do is divide both 500 and 700 calories by 9 to work out those figures in grams. So in this example, 500 – 700 calories equals 56 – 78g fat (saturated or unsaturated, it doesn’t matter for this calculation) each day.
Which Foods Are High In Saturated Fat?Processed foods and those from animal sources are generally the highest in saturates. Many processed foods, like ready meals, are made with palm oil, palm kernel oil or coconut oil all of which contain high levels of saturates .
In the USA and Europe any food product containing vegetable oil must list the specific oils that were used in its preparation. All other vegetable oils are low in saturates; a number of food producers are now choosing to use soyabean, corn or cottonseed oils instead of the palm oils..