The Internet is packed with people singing the roses with low-fat, keto-friendly diets. Meanwhile, most health providers cling to the decades old advice to stick to a low -space diet to improve your cardiovascular health.
It can be hard to know what to believe. Nutrition is a very complex topic and the best thing you can do is lean into what your registered dietitian has advised you to do based on your health history, family history and lifestyle factors. And if this recommendation happens to be a low -saturated fat diet, then I’ve got you covered in this piece.
Let’s discuss what a low -saturated low -fat diet is and what foods to include to navigate this eating pattern with ease.
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What is a low -saturated fat content?
As per MyFitnessPal Dietitian Katherine Basbaum limits a low -saturated fat -content foods high in saturated Fat – not unsaturated Fat.
But what is saturated fat?
“They are the kind of fat that is solid at room temperature. They are most often found in animal products and certain processed foods – think: beef, pork, butter, cookies and cakes,” she explains (1).
The dietary guidelines for Americans (DGA) 2020-2025 actually recommend that a maximum of 10% daily calories from saturated fat (2).
Researchers who base this recommendation on decades of research that have shown a diet low in saturated fat can help improve heart health through the improvement of cholesterol numbers (4).
For a person who follows a diet of 2000 calorie, this would mean that approx. 20 grams (or less) saturated fat should be eaten over a day (3).
It can really add fast. For example:
| Food | Serving size | Grams sat fat |
| Cheeseburger | 1 burger | 10 |
| Ice cream | 4 ounces | 10 |
| Greek yogurt | ¾ cups | 6 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp | 7.3 |
| Fast food biscuits with eggs and bacon | 1 sandwich | 8 |
| Frozen Pepperoni Pizza | 12-inch pizza | 26 |
Foods that contain many saturated fat are also usually high in calories. It is ok to enjoy all these foods in moderation, but if you eat them often it can make a weight loss travel difficult. Therefore, it can help! (3, 4).
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What is more important, saturated fat or dietary cholesterol?
When it comes to heart health, it is more important to reduce saturated fat than dietary cholesterol.
Science has evolved and proven that cholesterol in the diet does not affect blood cholesterol which was once believed (5). In fact, DGA actually removed the limit of dietary cholesterol from their latest guidelines due to the lack of proof that supports the relationship (2).
The good news is foods such as eggs that contain a higher amount of dietary cholesterol, are now actually recommended in moderation of the American Heart Association as part of a heartbeat diet (6).
About the experts
Katherine Basbaum, Ms, Rd is a food data curator on MyFitnessPal. She received her candidates in Nutrition Communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University and completed her dietary internship at UVA Health, where she also works as a nutrition adviser for cardiology patients.
Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN, CPT is a nutritionist, four-gauge cookbook writer and early nutritional pioneer in fertility nutrition. She is the president and owner of the US-based nutrition communication and consulting firm Shaw Simple Swaps.
5 Foods with low fat content that is good for you
There are a number of foods with low saturated fat that actually happen to be sources of other good-to-you nutrients!
Here is a top of the top five foods with low saturated fat, which I regularly recommend to my clients.
Almonds
Nutrition per 1-ounce serving (7)
Calories: 160; Total fat: 14 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Total sugar: 1 g; Fiber: 4 g; Protein: 6 g
Almonds are not a low -fat food, but they are a low -saturated fat food. Almonds also deliver large when it comes to both dietary fiber and protein. This Trifecta of Nutrition helps keep you fuller for a longer period of time while also setting up to achieve your goals (8, 9).
How to eat them: Enjoy an ounce of them on their own as a snack toasted and slightly spicy. Or throw them in a salad, or mix them in your favorite energy ID!
Avocado
Nutrition per â…“ Medium Avocado (50 g) (10)
Calories: 80; Total fat: 7 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Total sugar: 0 g; Fiber: 3 g; Protein: 1 g
Avocados have risen to fame on social media and on restaurant menus across the globe over the past two decades thanks to their star body profile.
Again, it’s not a low -fat food (it contains 7 grams of total fat), but it only gives 1 gram of saturated fat, which makes it fit nicely on this list (10). Plus, it packs 3 grams of fiber filling, a nutrient that most Americans do not eat enough of (2.10).
How to eat them: You can definitely enjoy avocado on your own, but you can also use â…“ of a medium avocado as a vehicle for protein -rich foods. Or add to a breakfast bowl with eggs or of course on a black bean burger.
Hermetic tuna
Nutrition per 3-ounce serving (11)
Calories: 110; Total fat: 2.5 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 0 g; Total sugar: 0 g; Fiber: 0 g; Protein: 20 g
Unless you are a vegetarian, there is no need to avoid canned tuna. Hermetic tuna is not only a low-fat and low-saturated fat food, but it is a convenient food with high proteinine that wraps 20 grams in just a 3-ounce part (11).
Protein is crucial to building, maintaining and repairing your lean muscle. It also helps with saturation and weight control (8, 12).
How to eat it: You can enjoy canned tuna right from the can. I am to combine it with a fiber source so you can also reap the benefits of the nutrient. Consider adding 3 ounces of tuna to a salad with a peanut clothing. Or try it with avocado on top of apple slices or even in tasty oats with seaweed. (Don’t beat it until you’ve tried it!)
Non -fat greek yogurt
Nutrition per 1-cup serving (13)
Calories: 150; Total fat: 1 g; Saturated fat: 0.5 g; Carbohydrates: 9 g; Total sugar: 8 g; Fiber: 0 g; Protein: 25 g
While whole milk Greek yogurt may have more saturated fat than you want, a non -fat setting can be a good choice.
Plain, not -fed Greek yogurt is really a superstar in the health field. Not only is a non -fat black a good choice when it comes to saturated fat (it has only 0.5 grams of it), it is also filled with 25 grams of protein and a source of probiotics (those who are good for you who support bowel health) (13.14).
“Both non-fat and low-fat Greek yogurt are good choices for someone who follows a low-saturated fat diet,” says Katherine Basbaum, a MyFitnessPal dietitian. “In addition to being a versatile food, Greek yogurt is rich in protein and vitamin B12,” she explains (6, 13).
How to eat it: Whether you choose to enjoy a cup of Greek yogurt for breakfast in a parfait that better-for-you swap for Mayo in a salad or trendy yogurt bark, you can’t go wrong with adding this stars food to your regular meal plan.
Lentils
Nutrition per ½-cup cooked serving (15)
Calories: 150; Total fat: 6.5 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 17.5 g; Total sugar: 1.5 g; Fiber: 7 g; Protein: 8 g
Lentils along with other impulses such as beans and peas are one of my go-to recommended plant-driven protein sources, which is also just a low-saturated fat food. Plus, lenses pack both dietary and protein and keep you fuller for a longer period between meals (8.9).
How to eat them: Swapping lenses for soil meat in tacos is actually a wonderful way to incorporate more plant -based proteins into your diet without sacrificing flavor. Since they are extremely versatile, you can also pair ½ cup of lenses with lots of other foods, such as potatoes for a simple bowl, throw them in a salad or puree them in soups.
Frequently asked questions (frequently asked questions)
What foods contain low saturated fat?
Plant -based foods, such as beans, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains, are of course low in saturated fat (6). But animal-based foods including lean and extra-lean protein selection-such as 93% lean/7% fat soil beef, boneless and skinless chicken breast and non-fat dairy products can also often fit into this category of low-saturated fatty foods (6).
Which snack foods are the lowest in saturated fat?
Full grains are often low in saturated fat, such as air -pop popcorn or rice cakes. Plus, nuts like almonds and pistachios are also good snack options that can be high in total fat, but is considered low in saturated fat (1.6). Any products pick, including both fruits and vegetables, also make the cut here (1.6). Most people have no saturated fat.
Which meat has the lowest saturated fat?
A 3-ounce part of boneless, skinless chicken breast has only 1 gram of saturated fat (16). Typically, both chicken and turkey tend to have less saturated fat than beef or pork.
How do you get rid of saturated fat in your body?
Unfortunately, you can’t just banish saturated fat from your body. “Saturated fat is a type of fat found in foods, and when it is consumed, there is no way to remove it from the body. However, excessively saturated fat intake is associated with higher levels of LDL cholesterol and there are ways to lower LDL. (1.6).
The lower line
A low -saturated fat diet is recommended as part of a healthy diet of the latest DGA (2). This eating style can benefit both heart health and weight management.
However, this does not mean low fat. In fact, low -saturated fat foods can actually contain a higher amount of total fat. That’s because they pack the better for you unsaturated fats (1, 6). Get to know your own saturated fat intake by logging your food into the MyFitnessPal app today!
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