- Fat is made up of fatty acids, some of which are essential for health, in small amounts;
- Foods that contain a lot of fat provide a lot of energy. Too much can cause people to become overweight;
- Fat carries some vitamins (A, D, E and K) round the body and is necessary for their absorption.
Where are fats found in our diet?
- We add fat to food, for example butter or spread on bread;
- Some of the fat we eat is visible for example we can see the fat on some meats;
- Some fat is hidden and harder to spot – for example it can be found in biscuits, cake and chocolates and crisps.
What are the different types of fat and where do we find them?:
- Not all fat is the same – there are two main types of fat in food. These are called ‘Saturated’ fat and ‘Unsaturated’ fat;
Saturated fat
- Usually solid at room temperature;
- Found in meat, full fat dairy foods and pastry;
- Too much can lead to an increased risk of heart disease.
Foods high in saturated fat:
- Meat products, e.g. sausages;
- Cuts of meat with visible white fat, and skin;
- Cheese, especially hard cheese;
- Butter, ghee and lard;
- Pastries, pies, samosas;
- Some savoury snacks;
- Chocolate, cakes and biscuits;
- Cream, soured cream. crème fraiche and ice cream;
- Palm oil, Coconut oil and coconut cream.
Unsaturated fat
- Usually liquid at room temperature;
- Tend to be vegetable fats and oils;
- Can help lower cholesterol levels;
- Provide the essential fatty acids.
Foods high in unsaturated fat:
- Oily fish, e.g. mackerel, salmon, sardines;
- Avocados;
- Nuts (choosing unsalted nuts helps to make sure we do not eat more salt than is recommended);
- Seeds;
- Oils and spreads made from rapeseed, olive, sunflower and vegetables.
