Saturated fats are often referred to as bad fats. When consumed in excess, this type of fat can increase the risk of various dangerous diseases, such as heart disease and stroke. Therefore, it is important to limit the consumption of foods containing saturated fat.
Basically, the body needs fat to support the function of various organs of the body. Not only that, fat also acts as a source of energy, keeps the body temperature warm, and helps the absorption of various types of vitamins and minerals.
However, not all fats are good for health. There are also bad fats that can be bad for health when consumed in excess. The fat in question is saturated fat.
What is Saturated Fat?
Saturated fat is a type of fat that generally comes from animals. There are several types of foods that contain saturated fat, namely red meat, poultry, and dairy products, such as butter, cheese, and ice cream.
When consumed in excess, saturated fat can trigger an increase in levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood and increase the risk of various health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Apart from animal origin, saturated fat can also come from plants. Usually, this type of saturated fat is contained in vegetable oils, such as palm oil and coconut oil.
How to Tips Avoid Saturated Fats?
Seeing the bad impact that saturated fat can have, it is important for you to start reducing saturated fat intake from now on and eating more foods with unsaturated fats and other nutrients.
The following are some things you can do to stay away from saturated fat:
- Read the nutritional content label which is usually listed on the product packaging before you buy it. For men, it is recommended not to consume more than 30 grams of saturated fat per day, while women are not more than 20 grams.
- Avoid cooking by frying and try to process food by roasting, boiling, and steaming. For example, if you are used to cooking fried chicken, you can process it into Pepes or Soto.
- Consume lean meat. You can remove the fat that is still attached to the meat before processing it.
- Choose dairy products with low fat content, such as yogurt or low-fat milk.
- Choose healthy oils, such as olive oil or corn oil, for cooking or processing foods.
- Add fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts to your diet to meet your daily nutritional intake.
- Avoid coconut milk foods which usually contain high saturated fat. Prioritize choosing vegetable, fish, and chicken dishes over red meat.
- Consumption of boiled eggs is better than fried eggs or scrambled eggs.
- If you are a coffee fan, avoid adding cream or milk to it.
- For a snack, choose fruit or nuts over chocolate, donuts, or crackers.
In essence, to stay away from saturated fat, try to choose foods that are unprocessed and more whole, such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, and low-fat meats. Not processed products, such as sausages, smoked meats, corned beef, nuggets, instant noodles, and other foods, which have gone through many stages of processing.
In addition, the thing that you need to remember is that disease does not only come from diet, but also from daily habits, including staying up late, rarely exercising, and being stressed or anxious too often.
If you want to find out more about the types of foods that contain saturated fat or need advice on nutritional intake and eating menus that are in accordance with your health conditions, don't hesitate to consult a doctor.