How Much Fat Do You Eat?
Think about the foods you like to eat. How many of the statements below apply to you?
- You hide your salad under the dressing.
- Your pizza isn't ready to go without extra cheese.
- You can't drink coffee without half-and-half or nondairy creamer.
- Your baked potato becomes a sponge for butter and sour cream.
- Your favorite way to eat fruit is in pie or ice cream.
- You can't watch TV without a bag of nuts, chips, cookies, or chocolates.
- You never pass up a doughnut or a sweet roll.
- Life wouldn't be worth living without cheeseburgers and french fries.
The more statements that are true for you, the higher your diet is in fat. Learning to eat less fat can be better for your health.
Why Eat Less Fat?
What's wrong with fat? For one thing, fat is high in calories. Fats are also linked to health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, and some cancers—especially if these run in your family.
Health
Eating fat can make your body produce more cholesterol, a waxy substance that can stick to your blood vessels and cause heart disease and stroke. A low-fat diet can help keep your blood vessels open. It may also help prevent some cancers, such as colon, prostate, and breast cancer. That's because too much fat may make it harder for your body to protect cells from damage.
Weight
Since fat is high in calories, eating too much fat can make you gain weight. People who are overweight run a greater risk of getting high blood pressure and diabetes. Cutting down on fat can help you control your weight and stay healthier.
How much fat?
No more than 20% to 30% of your total daily calories should come from fat. You need to watch both the total amount of fat and the kind of fat you eat.
Daily grams of fat
Try to keep the total grams of fat you eat each day within the range suggested for you. The ranges for men and women are shown here. You can use the nutrition labels on most foods to help you add up the total grams of fat you eat each day.
Two kinds of fat
Fats fall into two categories:
- Saturated fats include butter, coconut and palm oil, and the fat in meat and cheese. These fats raise blood cholesterol. Total saturated fat is shown on the nutrition label. Try to eat as little saturated fat as possible.
- Unsaturated fats include olive, canola, corn, and safflower oil and the fat in nuts, olives, and avocados. These fats are not as bad as saturated fats, but they're still high in calories. Use them sparingly.
Low-fat choices
Reducing the amount of fat you eat can help you stay healthier and control your weight. The chart shown here gives you some low-fat alternatives for high-fat foods. You can use the nutrition labels to compare the fat in foods you buy, too.
Tips to reduce fat in your diet
You can cut down on fat and still enjoy the foods you eat. Choose more fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grain breads and cereals. Limit the amount of prepared foods, fast foods, and bakery goods you eat. Here are some more tips to help you eat better:
- Use herbs or butter substitutes on vegetables and low-fat or nonfat dressings on salads.
- Try cooking sprays instead of butter, margarine, or oil to prepare foods and prevent sticking.
- Replace butter on toast, pancakes, and waffles with jam or fruit spreads.
- Buy lean meat and trim off all visible fat before cooking.
- Remove the skin from poultry and fish.
- Choose low-fat dairy products, such as 1% or nonfat (skim) milk, nonfat yogurt, and low-fat or nonfat cheese. Use 2% or 1% milk instead of dairy creamer in coffee or tea.
- When you want something sweet, choose angel food cake, nonfat frozen yogurt, or fruit ices.
About This Article
Publication: Krames Brochure
