Our fats factsheet

We all need fat in our diet. Fat helps your body absorb certain vitamins, it's a good source of energy and also of the 'essential fatty acids' that the body is incapable of making itself.

According to current guidelines, fat should make up no more than one third of the energy (or calories) in your diet.

Here are a 5 simple tips to help you cut back on the amount of fat in your food:

• Remove visible fat off meat – choose lean cuts.
• Grill, bake or steam rather than fry or roast.
• If you have something high in fat then make sure the rest of the meal is low fat.
• Always read food labels and compare fat contents with alternatives.
• Measure the oil you use for cooking rather than pouring it straight in – oil sprays are useful.

Good (unsaturated) fats can be a healthy choice, as they can actually reduce cholesterol levels and provide us with the essential fatty acids. They are found in:

• oily fish
• avocados
• nuts and seeds
• sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil, and spreads
• vegetable oils.

Bad (saturated, trans or hydrogenated) fats can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases the chance of developing heart disease. Bad fats are found in:

• processed meat products, meat pies, sausages
• hard cheese
• butter and lard
• pastry
• cakes and biscuits
• cream, soured cream and crème fraîche
• coconut oil, coconut cream or palm oil.

Copyright 2010