The Food Standards Agency

The FSA are currently highlighting the health risks associated with eating too much saturated fat, like raised cholesterol and a build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries.

Reducing your saturated fat intake is probably a lot easier than you think – take a look at our simple tips for a healthier lifestyle.

  1. Shopping Tips
  2. Cooking Tips
  3. Habitual Tips
  4. Swapping Tips
  • Choose low and lower-fat varieties of dairy foods such as semi-skimmed, 1% fat milk or skimmed milk, low-fat yoghurts and lower-fat cheeses.
  • Look at the label when choosing cheese as different varieties of cheese can have different saturated fat levels. Soft cheese tends to have less than hard cheese.
  • Check the label when buying meat as there can be big variances between the types of meat, cut of meat and how it has been prepared. Specifically:
    • The more white you can see on meat, the more fat it contains. So, for example, back bacon has less than half the Sat Fat of streaky bacon.
    • Go for turkey and chicken without the skin.
    • Go for leaner varieties of mince – the saturated fat content can vary widely.
    • Look out for coatings and sauces which may increase the saturated fat levels.
  • Have pies with only one crust rather than two – either a lid or a base – because pastry is very high in Sat Fat.
  • Choosing a fat spread with lower total fat per 100g generally means that the saturated fat content per 100g will be lower.
  • Go for polyunsaturated or mono-unsaturated spreads where possible and not dairy based spreads.
  • If you are going to have crisps – check the label and choose those with the lower Sat Fat – as there is often a big difference between brands. More specifically:
    • Crisps and savoury snacks cooked in sunflower and sunseed oils tend to be lower in saturated fat than those cooked in unspecified vegetable oils.
    • Choose baked, or lower fat versions of crisps which are lower in total and saturated fat.
    • Go easy on 'sharer' or 'grab' bags as portion sizes are harder to estimate.
  • Compare the labels on foods like biscuits and cakes to make sure they're lower in Sat Fat.
Find out more at: www.eatwell.gov.uk
  • If you're using cheese to flavour a dish or a sauce, you could try using a very strong-tasting cheese, such as mature Cheddar, as you'll need less. Also look out for some of the great tasting reduced fat mature Cheddars that are available.
  • Cut any visible fat and skin off meat before cooking.
  • Grill meat rather than frying.
  • Use unsaturated oils such as olive, sunflower or rapeseed oils instead of butter, lard and ghee in cooking.
  • Make mashed potato with olive oil and garlic instead of butter and milk.
  • Make mashed potato with low fat spread and semi-skimmed milk.
Find out more at: www.eatwell.gov.uk
  • Try having smaller portions of cheese or eating it less often.
  • Grate your cheese – you'll eat less.
  • Try to limit the amount of buns, cakes, pastries, pies and biscuits you eat.
  • Try to limit the amount of sausages, salami, pâté and beef burgers you eat, as these are generally high in Sat Fat and often high in salt too.
  • Remember that meat products in pastry, such as pies and sausage rolls, are high in Sat Fat, as they may contain fatty cuts of meat and the fat in pastry.
  • If you are going to have something 'sweet', instead of cakes or biscuits, try having a currant bun, scone or some malt loaf, plain or with low-fat spread.
  • Snack foods can be high in Sat Fat and salt and should only be seen as a treat.
  • We can enjoy chocolate treats every now and again, but think about how often and how much you eat of them instead of getting to a habit of eating them every day.
Find out more at: www.eatwell.gov.uk
  • Swap red meat for fish or turkey/chicken without the skin on.
  • Swap creamy or cheesy sauces for tomato or vegetable based sauces.
  • Swap butter for vegetable oil based spreads.
  • Swap a large full-fat milk coffee for a regular 'skinny' latte.
Find out more at: www.eatwell.gov.uk

Meals Tips

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Shopping Tips

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tasty meals

Sat Fat Debate

Watch the Sat Fat debate: Is Britain Eating Itself to Death?
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