Fat

It’s been known for many years now that a high fat diet is linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity and heart disease.

Having said that, it’s important to have some fat in your diet since it performs many useful functions, helping you absorb certain vitamins and providing energy and essential fatty acids that can’t be made by the body.

The key to maintaining a healthy level of fat in your diet lies in choosing the right type of fat as much as watching how much fat you eat.

Saturated fats

Eating too much saturated fat is linked with raised blood cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease. Foods typically high in saturated fat include cheese, butter, lard, meat products such as pies and sausages, crème fraiche, palm oil and coconut oil.

Trans fats

Found in biscuits, cakes, pastry and fast foods, trans fats have a similar effect on blood cholesterol as saturated fats.

Unsaturated fat

One of the ‘good’ fats, unsaturated fat provides essential fatty acids and can actually help reduce cholesterol levels.

To include more unsaturated fats in you diet, look for avocado, oil-rich fish like salmon, pilchards and sardines, nuts and seeds and sunflower and olive oils and spreads.

Omega 3

Found in abundance in oil-rich fish, omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to help protect against coronary heart disease.

Read the label

Always check on the label for the amount of fat in any food you buy. The GDA of fat is 70g for women and 90g for men.

Remember as well, low fat foods don’t just contribute to good heart health. They can also help you keep your weight down, and many of your favourite Kellogg’s cereals, such as Special K, contain less than 3% fat.