How to Identify Saturated Fats in the Diet

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature. If you have leftover chicken sitting in your refrigerator and examine it, you will probably see a thin layer of congealed chicken fat clinging to the meat.
What's the big deal about saturated fats? The more you consume of them, the more you greatly increase your risk for heart disease.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends adults over 19 consume between 20 to 35 percent of fat in their diet. They recommend people eat mainly unsaturated fats and consume no more than 10 percent of saturated fats and as few trans fats as possible.
No more chicken nuggets? You can have them once in a while if you are not at risk for a heart attack. But eating them daily is not a good idea for anyone. Have a turkey burger or a veggie burger instead.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Identify what saturated fats are. Saturated fats are solid when left at room temperature. That includes butter, ice cream and ice-cream products (such as ice-cream sandwiches), whole-fat milk and cream and high-fat cuts of meat and cheese.
   The Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 2005 recommends no more than 10 percent of saturated fat in the diet. If you are under a doctor's care for hypertension, that percentage may be even lower.

2. Read labels: all food labels clearly state the amount of saturated fats. This is what you are targeting. The labels will also state what percentage of the product is made up of saturated fats.
   The CDC recommended daily consumption of fats of any kind is 20 to 35 percent. If you have coronary heart disease, your physician may restrict your dietary fat even more.

3. Drink 1 and 2 percent milk. As stated above, read the label on the products to see how much saturated fat there is.
   If you must have cow's milk and milk products, choose the non- or low-fat varieties to keep your blood cholesterol levels and your risk for coronary heart disease low.
   Select from other sources for your calcium. Canned fish, broccoli and dark-green, leafy vegetables also have calcium, as does calcium-fortified orange juice.

4. Eat lean cuts of meat such as round or sirloin cuts.
   Read all labels on the food items to check for saturated fats.
   Remove all visible signs of fat. Remove the skin from chicken and turkey before cooking.
   If your doctor has diagnosed you as having high blood cholesterol, eat more fish.
   Fish contains unsaturated fat and Omega-6 oils, which do not clog the heart arteries.

5. Select margarine over butter if it has less fat, dietary cholesterol and saturated fat content. Read all labels to look for saturated fats. Toss out the Crisco--this is saturated fat.
   Instead of butter or margarine, eat nut butters such as almond or soy butter; or use fruit spreads such as apple butter.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that all kinds of fat is high in calories. If you are managing your weight, read labels and eat no more than 20 to 35 percent from fats of any kind. Consume mainly unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature.
• If you have hypertension or any chronic diseases, see your doctor or a nutritionist for more detailed nutritional advice. Children should have 25 to 35 percent of dietary fat from the ages of 4 to 18. Young children up to age 3 need up to 35 percent dietary fat.

Resources

• Nutrition Basics: Controlling Fat; The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• My (Food) Pyramid, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA)

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