Cut back on fat
There are plenty of ways to go easy on the fat; simple things like, swapping certain foods for others, changing the way we prepare and cook food, and comparing food labels.
Top tips – easy fat swaps
Look for lower fat foods
- Spreads, mayonnaise and salad dressings can be very high in fat - look for lower fat options and try to use less.
- Choose semi-skimmed, 1% fat or skimmed milk for cereals or coffees.
- White meat has less fat than red meat - choose skinless chicken or turkey instead.
- Choose leaner cuts of meat when shopping.
- Try yoghurt (frozen or fresh) or sorbet instead of cream or ice cream.
Cook it with less
- Cut off any visible fat from meat and skin from poultry before cooking - add spices to keep the flavour.
- Drain off fat during or after cooking .
- Grill meat instead of frying it.
Different types of fat
There are two kinds of fat in the foods we eat – saturated and unsaturated fat.
Saturated fat
- This is the type of fat that we need to really watch in our diets.
- It can really build up in the system, eventually leading to high blood cholesterol and increasing the chances of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Unfortunately, it is also found in lots of foods.
Unsaturated fat
- Unsaturated fat helps us absorb vitamins and can actually help to reduce cholesterol.
- It also gives us essential fatty acids that our bodies need.
- We don’t need too much in our diet to keep us healthy, so it’s best to have in small amounts.
Read more about saturated fats and unsaturated fats on NHS Choices
Read the label
Another way to keep an eye on the amount of fat in the food you eat is to read the nutrition labels when you’re shopping or if you’re eating out.
As a general guide:
- High fat foods: have more than 20g fat per 100g
- Low fat foods: have 3g or less per 100g
Find out more about food labelling