The internet is full of people singing praises for a high-fat keto-friendly diet. Meanwhile, most healthcare providers stick to decades-old advice to stick to a diet that is low in saturated fat to improve cardiovascular health.
It can be hard to know what to believe. Nutrition is a very complicated topic and the best thing you can do is to lean towards what your registered dietitian has advised you based on your health history, family history and lifestyle factors. And if that recommendation happens to be a saturated fat diet, I’ve covered you with this piece.
Let’s explain what a low-saturated fat diet is and what foods to include to easily navigate this dietary pattern.
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What is a low-saturated fat diet?
According to Myfitnesspal nutritionist Katherine Basbaum, a low-saturated fat diet, Saturated Fat – not Unsaturated fat.
But what is saturated fat?
“They are the kind of fat that are solid at room temperature. They are most commonly found in animal products and certain processed foods.1).
Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) 2020-2025 actually recommends that up to 10% of daily calories come from saturated fats (2).
Based on this recommendation, scientists can help improve heart health by improving cholesterol counts, based on decades of research showing diets that are low in saturated fat (4).
For people who are on a 2000-calorie diet, this means that they need to eat about 20 grams (or less) of saturated fat all day long (below)3).
It can really increase quickly. for example:
| food | Serving size | Gram sat fat |
| Cheeseburger | 1 Burger | 10 |
| Ice cream | 4 oz | 10 |
| Greek yogurt | ¾cup | 6 |
| butter | 1 tablespoon | 7.3 |
| Egg and bacon fast food biscuits | 1 sandwich | 8 |
| Frozen pepperoni pizza | 12 inch pizza | 26 |
Foods that are high in saturated fats are usually high in calories. It’s okay to enjoy all these foods in moderation, but eating them often can make your weight loss journey more difficult. So it’s helpful to track your intake of foods that contain saturated fat! (3, 4).
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More importantly, is it saturated fat or dietary cholesterol?
When it comes to heart health, reducing saturated fats is more important than dietary cholesterol.
Science has evolved and proved that dietary cholesterol does not affect blood cholesterol as once believed (5). In fact, the DGA actually removed dietary cholesterol limits from the latest guidelines, as there is no evidence to support the relationship (2).
The good news is that foods like eggs contain food cholesterol, but as part of a heart-healthy diet, the American Heart Association has been moderately recommended (now actually recommended (now the American Heart Association)6).
About the experts
Katherine Basbaum, MS, RD I am the food data curator for MyFitnessPal. She earned a Masters degree in Nutrition Communication from Friedman Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University and completed a nutrition internship at UVA Health.
Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN, CPT He is a nutrition expert, author of four cookbooks and is a pioneer of early nutrition in the field of birth nutrition nutrition. She is the president and owner of Shaw Simple Swaps, a US-based nutrition communications and consulting company.
5 Low Suction Fat Foods Good for You
There are a variety of foods with low saturated fats and are actually a source of other nutrients.
This is the peak of the top five low-saturated fat foods that we regularly recommend to our clients.
almond
Serving per ounce (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 low-fat foods, but they are low-saturated fat foods. Almonds also grow in terms of both dietary fiber and protein. This nutritional triple will help you keep you fulfilled for longer while setting you to achieve your goals (8, 9).
How to eat them: Enjoy the ounce yourself, just as the snacks are roasted and lightly seasoned. Or throw them into the salad or mix them into your favorite energy bite!
avocado
Nutrition per 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 gained fame on social media and restaurant menus around the world for the past 20 years.
Again, it’s not a low-fat food (contains 7 grams of total fat), but it fits nicely into this list as it only comes with 1 gram of saturated fat (10). Plus, it’s packed with 3 grams of filling fiber, a nutrient that most Americans don’t eat well.2,10).
How to eat them: You can certainly enjoy avocados yourself, but you can also use medium avocados as a protein-rich food vehicle. Or add it to your breakfast bowl with eggs, or of course to a black bean burger.
Canned tuna
Servings per 3 oz (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’re a vegetarian, there’s no reason to avoid canned tuna. Canned tuna is not only a low-fat and low-saturated fatty food, but also a convenient high protein food that packs 20 grams into just 3 ounces of portions (11).
Protein is essential for building, maintaining and repairing lean muscles. It also helps you with satiety and weight management (8, 12).
How to eat it: You can enjoy canned tuna straight from the can. I’m in favor of combining it with a fiber source, so you can enjoy the benefits of that nutrient too. Consider adding 3 ounces of tuna to a salad with peanut dressing. Or try it on top of apple slices, or even flavorful oats with seaweed, with avocados. (Don’t knock until you try it!)
Non-fat Greek yogurt
Nutrition per 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
Whole-milk Greek yogurt can increase saturated fats more than you would like, but non-fat options are a great choice.
Plain, fat-free Greek yogurt is truly a superstar in the health sector. When it comes to saturated fats (only 0.5 grams), non-fat varieties are not only a great choice, but they’re packed with 25 grams of protein and probiotic sources (suitable for bugs that support gut health) (13,14).
“Both non-fat and low-fat plain Greek yogurt are great choices for those who have a low-saturated fat diet,” says Katherine Basbaum, a dietitian at Myfitnesspal. “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 Greek yogurt for breakfast at a parfait, due to the better swaps of mayonnaise in your salad or trendy yogurt bark, you can’t add this fantastic meal to your regular meal plan.
Lentils
Nutrition prepared by nutrition (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 pulses like beans and peas, are one of my recommended plant-driven protein sources and are also a food with low saturated fat. Additionally, lentils are packed with both dietary fiber and protein, making them full for a long time between meals (8,9).
How to eat them: Swapping lentils for ground beef with tacos is a great way to incorporate more plant-based protein into your diet without actually sacrificing the flavor. It’s so versatile that you can also pair ½ cup of lentils with many other foods, such as simple dishes, potatoes, or throw them in a salad or puree them in the soup.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What foods have low saturated fats?
Plant-based foods such as beans, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are naturally low in saturated fat (6). However, animal-based foods that contain lean protein options (such as 93% lean/7% fat ground beef, boneless and skinless chicken breast, non-fat dairy products) often fit into low-saturated fat foods in this category (6).
Which snack foods are the lowest in saturated fats?
Whole grains, such as air pop popcorn and rice cakes, are often low in saturated fats. Additionally, nuts like almonds and pistachios are also great snack options that can be considered high in total fat but low in saturated fat (1,6). We will also cut agricultural picks that include both fruit and vegetables (1,6). Most do not have saturated fat.
Which meat has the lowest saturated fat?
A 3-ounce portion of boneless, skinless chicken breast contains only 1 gram of saturated fat.16). Typically, both chicken and turkey tend to have less fat than beef or pork.
How do you remove saturated fat from your body?
Unfortunately, it’s not just about banishing saturated fats from your body. “Saturated fat is a type of fat found in food, and once consumed there is no way to remove it from the body. However, excessive saturated fat intake is associated with higher levels of LDL cholesterol, and there are ways to reduce LDL.1,6).
Conclusion
A low saturated fat diet is recommended as part of the latest healthy diet with DGA (2). This style of diet can help both heart health and weight management.
However, this does not mean low fat. In fact, foods that are low in saturated fats may actually contain a higher amount of total fat. That’s because they packed unsaturated fats better for you (1, 6). By logging your food, you will learn about your own saturated fat intake myfitnesspal Today’s app!
The low-saturated fat post-5 foods that nutritionists want you to eat first appeared on the MyFitnessPal blog.
