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When people think of going on a diet, they end up thinking about the food items they must include in their diet plan and the others, that are a complete no-no. Many a times, they are told that saturated fat is extremely bad for them and that they must avoid all those food items that contain it. This is usually because they are seen as a source of cholesterol that has a negative impact on the overall balance of the body. One can differentiate it based on its form.
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Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature and is normally found in animal products. Apart from these, junks and packaged food items contain a good deal of saturated fat as well. It is found in items like animal meat, plant oils, dairy products, processed and packaged foods etc.
However, is it possible to totally cut this out from your diet? We say not! There are some items that are usually included in your diet, in spite of its saturated fat content, maybe because of a need or a want. According to the AHA (American Heart Association), 5-6% of your total dietary plan per day can contain saturated fat.
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Since eliminating saturated fats completely is impossible due to its correlation and coexistence with unsaturated fats, we can compare and contrast the various sources to come down to the best sources of it so as it increase nutritional value and decrease bad fat content. This is only possible if we are aware of the food items that we indulge in everyday that contain saturated fat.
These sources of saturated fat include:
1. Cheese
Even though cheese has a lot of saturated fat, not all cheeses are the same. There are some that are better than the others, as far as this is concerned. Ricotta cheese and cottage cheese have comparatively lower content of saturated fats, whereas cheddar cheese and swiss cheese are higher on the content scale. Mozzarella, feta, blue cheese all lies in the middle. Hence, balance it out with the kind of cheese you choose and you will not feel guilty later.
2. Milk
Even though a lot of people strongly believe that milk must be avoided due to its saturated fat content, studies have shown that milk either has limited or no effect when it comes to heart diseases.
It has micronutrients that have beneficial affects, when it comes to diabetes and blood pressure. However, one must be sure of the kind of milk they are drinking and what their overall diet is. Excess of everything is bad, in reality.
3. Butter
Just so you know, 1 tablespoon of butter contains about 36 per cent of your daily dose of saturated fat. However, in recent times, experts have firmly stated that butter is not as harmful as people have believed it to be.
It has been proven that saturated fat has two effects: first, it increases the level of LDL, which causes heart diseases, but secondly, it also increases the level of HDL, which prevents it. Hence, it has a positive as well as a negative effect. Butter, when consumed in moderation, is not bad for health.
4. Desserts
Is this even a question? This is something made out of butter and milk, 2 things containing saturated fat. Hence, it is definitely a major source of it too. Hence, it is advised to limit the intake of dairy based desserts as it can cause a rapid increase in the level of LDL.
It has been found that dairy based desserts contribute about 5.6% to your daily dose of saturated fat intake. It is a lot, when it comes to balancing out your daily food items.
5. Fried Junk Items
Fried food, from French fries to packaged chips, all are very rich in fat and calories. The amount of saturated fat it contains is alarming too. Hence, there is a reason why people who take their diets seriously usually just have 1 cheat day per week.
Not only saturated fat, fried food has trans fat too, which can really risk your chances of getting a heart disease. Therefore, fried food must be avoided as much as possible.
6. Red Meat
Red meat has a higher saturated fat content. Some meat like bacon, salami and ham are worse than fresh ones. Meat labeled round, sirloin or loin are the ones people can opt for if they are really in the mood for it.
Opting for lean options can be a good way out of this. Further, substituting it for turkey, seafood or even tofu can help eliminated the crazy dose of saturated fat. In a day, one can have about 6-7 ounces of fish, chicken (skinless) or lean meat to meet their dietary requirement.
7. Certain oils
Coconut oil and palm oil are 2 of the many oils that have a rich saturated fat content. Substituting it by oils like olive or canola can be a good solution.
These are some of the food items that we indulge in on a daily basis that have high saturated fat content. We cannot really stop eating them, but balancing it out is what we must strive to do.
