Fat % of foods - you may be surprised

avocado

Dietary fat is a major contributor to daily energy intake and weight gain and a lot of it goes unnoticed. Fat provides 37kj per 1 gram which is significant when compared to carbohydrate and protein that provide 16kj and 17kj per 1 gram respectively. If you are looking to loose or control your body weight it's not only important that you can identify foods that contain fat but you are also aware to what extent. I have listed foods and their approximate fat % to help put the fat % of foods in perspective - you might find a few surprises!




100% oil

80% magarine, butter

nuts

50% nuts, seeds

40% light margarine

35% cheddar cheese

30% crisps, mayonnaise, chocolate

25% meat, pastry, croissant, chocolate biscuit, short bread, savoury biscuit

20% cheese cake, avocado

15% lean meat, soy beans, muffin, sponge cake, toasted muesli, ham burger, meat pie, sausage roll, apple pie, low fat savoury biscuit, plain sweet biscuit

10% fish, potato chips, non-toasted muesli, scone, egg, ice cream, pizza

5% ricotta / cottage cheese, full fat milk / yoghurt, minimally processed grain foods

less than 5% low fat milk / yoghurt, fruits, vegetables, beans

There are some obvious culprits that you would have suspected to be high in fat; chocolate, margarine, crisps and cake. After taking a closer look at the fat % you may have noticed a few unsuspecting foods that fly under the radar. Nuts for example are a great source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals however they are 50% fat. Avocado is another example of a nutritious food containing healthy fats and vitamins but a surprisingly high fat content. Another fat fact that people often find surprising is that cheddar cheese is higher in fat than chocolate!

It's important to recognise from an energy intake perspective that all fats, good or bad, contribute to dietary energy equally. Regardless of the type of fat 37kj is contributed for every 1 gram. 'Bad' fats should be kept to an absolute minimum and 'Good' fats consumed but in restricted amounts for weight control. Don't underestimate the impact of  'good' fats on your weight loss / weight control.

cake

Here are some tips to lower total fat intake:

• Limit servings of extras (foods with an energy density outweighing nutrition benefits) to 0-2 serves per week
• Consume low fat dairy options
• Consume meat, poultry and fish that is unprocessed or minimally processed
• Choose lean cuts of meat and remove all visible fat
• Limit servings of dairy to a total of 2 per day
• Limit servings of meat, poultry, fish, eggs and nuts to a total of 3 per day
• Limit the use of oil, butter and margarine 
• Limit the use of dressings and sauces and use low fat options