Saturated fat can impact your health, and knowing how to minimize its intake is crucial. This guide provides practical tips to help you identify and choose What Foods Are Low In Saturated Fat, both while shopping and when preparing meals at home.
Smart Shopping: Decoding Nutrition Labels
Understanding nutrition labels is key to making informed decisions. The front and back of food packaging display valuable information to help you reduce your saturated fat intake. Look for “saturates” or “sat fat” on the label. Here’s a simple guide:
- High: More than 5g saturates per 100g. Often indicated with a red color code.
- Medium: Between 1.5g and 5g saturates per 100g. Often indicated with an amber color code.
- Low: 1.5g saturates or less per 100g. Often indicated with a green color code.
Aim for products labeled green or amber for saturated fat content. Remember that significant differences can exist between similar products; always compare the nutritional content per 100g to ensure you are making the healthiest choice.
Cooking at Home: Simple Swaps for Lower Saturated Fat
Making simple adjustments to your cooking habits can dramatically reduce your saturated fat intake. Here are some examples:
Spaghetti Bolognese: Opt for a lower-fat mince. If using regular mince, brown it first and drain off the excess fat. Consider mixing meat mince with a meat-free alternative to further reduce fat content.
Pizza: Choose toppings like vegetables, chicken, tuna, and other seafood instead of high-fat options like extra cheese or cured meats such as pepperoni, salami, and bacon.
Fish Pie: Prepare the mash and sauce using reduced-fat spread and skimmed milk.
Chilli: Use lower-fat mince or a meat-free mince alternative. Alternatively, create a vegetarian chilli with mixed beans, lentils, and vegetables, contributing to your daily 5 A Day.
Chips: Select thick, straight-cut chips over french fries or crinkle-cut varieties to minimize surface area exposed to fat. When making your own, bake them in the oven with a small amount of vegetable oil and leave the skins on.
Potatoes: For healthier roast potatoes, cut them into larger pieces and use a minimal amount of sunflower or olive oil.
Mashed Potato: Replace butter with reduced-fat spread and use skimmed milk instead of whole or semi-skimmed milk.
Chicken: Choose leaner cuts like chicken breast and remove the skin before eating.
Bacon: Select back bacon over streaky bacon, which contains more fat, and grill instead of frying.
Eggs: Cook eggs without oil or butter by poaching, boiling, or dry frying.
Pasta: Choose tomato-based sauces over creamy or cheesy sauces, as they are lower in saturated fat.
Milk: Use skimmed milk on cereal and in hot drinks. It contains approximately half the saturated fat of semi-skimmed milk.
Cheese: When using cheese for flavor, opt for a strong-tasting variety like reduced-fat mature cheddar so you can use less. Grate cheese instead of slicing it to make it go further.
Yoghurt: Select a lower-fat and lower-sugar yoghurt, comparing nutrition labels to find the healthiest option.
Eating Out: Making Healthier Choices
Eating out doesn’t have to derail your efforts to reduce saturated fat. Here are some tips:
Coffee: Swap large whole milk coffees for regular “skinny” versions and avoid adding cream.
Curry: Choose dry or tomato-based dishes like tandoori or madras instead of creamy curries like korma, pasanda, or masala. Opt for plain rice and chapatti over pilau rice and naan.
Kebabs: Go for a shish kebab with pitta bread and salad rather than a doner kebab.
Chinese: Select lower-fat dishes such as steamed fish, chicken chop suey, or szechuan prawns.
Thai: Try stir-fried or steamed dishes with chicken, fish, or vegetables. Be mindful of curries containing coconut milk, which is high in saturated fat; if you choose one, avoid eating all the sauce.
Snacks: Swap foods high in sugar, salt, and fat like chocolate, doughnuts, and pastries for healthier options like:
- Some fruit
- Wholegrain toast
- Low-fat and lower-sugar yoghurt
- A small handful of plain, unsalted nuts
- A currant bun
- A slice of fruit loaf
- A slice of malt loaf
By following these guidelines, you can easily identify what foods are low in saturated fat and make healthier choices every day, improving your overall well-being.
