Many people know that reducing saturated fat intake is important in losing weight.
Saturated fat is a type of fat which is bad for your health.
At room temperature, saturated fats are solid or waxy, for example fat on meat and butter.
Saturated fats are found in foods such as poultry, red meat, and full fat dairy products. Plant oils like coconut oil and palm oil are high in saturated fats.
Saturated fat is made of triglycerides with fatty acids which contain hydrogen atoms in every available spot. As they are fully saturated with hydrogen, they are known as saturated fats.
These fats lack double bond atoms which are found in unsaturated fats and therefore cannot absorb iodine.
Saturated fats increase blood cholesterol levels more than other types of fat. Blood cholesterol can be lowered by reducing saturated fat to less than ten percent of calories. As these fats increases your cholesterol level, it puts you at an increased risk of heart disease.
Even the trans fat which is found in processed and fried foods causes same health problems. Trans fat not only raises bad cholesterol but lowers good cholesterol as well.
Foods that contain saturated fat:
Before purchasing any food item, read the amount of fats present in the food from the label. If you read the amount of saturated fats, you can check the consumption of those fats.
There is no need to eliminate all the fats from your diet to improve your overall health. You can include mono unsaturated and poly unsaturated fats in your diet.
Foods that contain high saturated fats:
- Chocolates
- Fried foods
- Ice creams
- Palm oil and coconut oil
- Biscuits, cakes and pastries
- Skin containing poultry
- Cream and butter
- Mutton, beef, lamb with non-lean cuts
- Processed foods
- Cheese and cream sauces
- Chips and cheese snacks
Avoiding saturated fats:
You should ignore foods and desserts. When you are taking snacks, keep yourself away from chips and chocolates. Butter, cheese, and cream should be avoided and prefer low fat foods and dairy products.
Use good oils such as olive, sunflower and canola oil while salad dressing and cooking. In this way, you can reduce saturated fat intake and increase unsaturated fat intake.
Choose lean cuts that contain less fat when you have to choose red meat. The skin should be removed from chicken and poultry before cooking them.
Eat fish twice a week as it is good for your health. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which is a poly unsaturated fat that can minimize the risk of heart diseases.
Foods that contain low saturated fat:
- Vegetable oils like almond, olive, sunflower, safflower, soybean, corn and flaxseed oil
- Beans, lentils, peas and tofu
- All kinds of fruits
- All green and fresh vegetables
- Whole wheat bread and oat meals
- Select lean cuts of meat
- Nuts, seeds and dried fruits
By following the intake of foods that are low in saturated fats, you can avoid the risk of heart disease and other health problems.
