Unhealthy fats
The British Heart Foundation urges us to continue to watch our saturated fat intake. ‘Reducing saturated fat is a very simple way to lower your cholesterol level and support your heart health,’ it advises. It’s recommended women eat no more than 20g saturated fats a day and men 30g. These fats are found in processed meats such as sausages, ham and burgers, fatty meat, cheese, butter, cream, whole milk, lard, ghee, suet, palm and coconut oils.
‘The important thing about cutting out saturated fat is what you replace it with,’ advises dietitian Tracy Parker. ‘It’s no good cutting out fatty foods only to replace them with low-fat sugary foods such as fruit-flavoured yogurts. Aim to swap saturated fats for polyunsaturated fats found in sunflower, corn, soya and rapeseed oils, spreads made from these oils, and nuts and seeds. Monounsaturated fats are also healthier, and can be found in rapeseed oils, avocados and some nuts including walnuts, almonds and pecans.’