The Facts About
fat
Part Two
Trans & Saturated Fat
made with 
by Dietetically Speaking
Eating too much trans and saturated fat is linked with a higher risk of heart disease
Trans Fat
can be found in...
Cakes
Biscuits
Pies
Fried Food
Margarine
Takeaways
Trans fat is formed when vegetable oils become solid or semi-solid by being heated to an industrial level
The best way to see if a food contains trans fat is to look out for: 'Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil' on the label2
Food manufacturers have greatly reduced the amount of trans fat in products in the UK recently
The UK average daily intake of trans fat is 0.5% of daily calories which is within the recommended level (less than 2% of daily calories)1
Saturated Fat
can be found in...
Lard
Butter
Coconut oil
Fatty meats
Full fat dairy
Pies
Pastries
Cakes
Biscuits
Takeaways
The average UK adult intake of saturated fat is 12.7% of daily calories which is above the recommended level (less than 11% of daily calories)1
The recommended daily limit of saturated fat is:2
20 grams for women
30 grams for men
deaths in the UK could be prevented every year if we cut our saturated fat intake in half3
Reading food labels per 100g can tell you how much fat there is in a product:4
> 5g of fat = HIGH in saturated fat
(Only have occasionally)
1.6 - 5g of saturated fat = MEDIUM amount of saturated fat
(OK to have most of the time)
< 1.5g of saturated fat = LOW in saturated fat
(The healthier choice)
Saturated fat is fine to consume in moderation, but most us would benefit from reducing our intake and replacing this with unsaturated fat such as: olive oil, rapeseed oil and unsaturated spreads (part 3 of this series will explore unsaturated fats in more detail)
Click here to see Part Three: Unsaturated Fat
Click here to see Part One: The Basics
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References:
1. PHE (2016) NDNS Results from Years 5 and 6 of the Rolling Programme (2012/2013 – 2013/2014)
2. BNF (2009) Culinary oils & their health effects
3. NICE (2010) “Cardiovascular Disease Prevention”
4. BHF (2014) "This Label Could Change Your Life"
5. BDA (2014) Food Fact Sheets “Fats” and “Trans Fats”