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Ever heard of unsaturated fats? Well, animal fats, cheese, butter – does it sound a bit familiar now? All of these prior mentioned items are foods high in saturated fat which taste amazing but are not good for one’s well being.
Saturated fats may fill you up and tickle your taste buds too but they never fail to inflict harmful effects on one’s health. They are the primary reasons for a number of health ailments, heart diseases and obesity being the most common ones.
In this article, we are going to throw some light on the top 10 commonly eaten foods that are loaded with saturated fats and are far from being good for our health. Don’t worry, we will even highlight why the tasty thing that we are talking about is not actually good for you (with reasoning).
What are Saturated Fat Foods?
Trust me, I am not trying to tempt you with the delectable picture of the burger, quite the contrary actually. This section of the article is majorly to highlight what someone means when they mention saturated fat foods.
Saturated fats or the foods high in saturated fat are the ones which are normally solid in room temperature and are formed of single bond fatty acid chains. Unlike the monosaturated or the polysaturated fatty acids, these ones have a very high melting point.
Some common examples of saturated fatty acids include animal fats, cheese, butter, fast food, etc.
Now the question comes down to one. How do the saturated fatty acids affect one’s health and why they aren’t good for your well being. Scroll down to find answers to all your queries and questions.
How Do Saturated Fats Affect the Body?
Have you ever heard of lipoproteins? If not, let us clear that up first. Lipoproteins are the carriers which transfer the cholesterol molecules from around the body to the liver for processing and absorption. There are primarily two variant of lipoproteins – low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
As much as you may think that the LDL is the good guy, let me break it to you that it’s not. LDLs tend to carry the cholesterol and drop it midway without transporting it to its destination, i.e the liver. HDLs, on the other hand, ensure to do their job properly and guarantee the transfer of the cholesterol and fat molecules from around the body to the liver.
Are on wondering why we are talking about lipoproteins under the topic of high saturated fat foods? Well, primarily because the consumption of saturated fat foods tends to increase the levels of LDLs in the body which is harmful for the body’s functioning.
How?
Because, the more the levels of lipoproteins, the more are the chances of failed transfer of the cholesterol molecules in the body. And, the presence of cholesterol anywhere around the body except for its site tends to contribute to the formation of blockage and such which can be pretty ghastly for one’s well being.
With that being said, it is not being said that you have completely eradicated the consumption of saturated fat foods from your diet. This is to only persuade you to consume them in sparing quantities, which would be easily digested and wouldn’t impose much negative impacts on one’s well being.
So, are you wondering which foods account for the highest saturated fat foods? Don’t worry; we have prepared a list for you to go through.
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Check Out These Unsaturated Fats That One Needs To Get Rid Of.
List of Foods High in Saturated Fat
1. Mayonnaise
When I mention sandwich and fries, what is the first condiment in your mind? Mayonnaise, isn’t it? Well, who doesn’t love the slightly tangy and pungent taste of the smooth and creamy condiment, doesn’t it?
Well, the only downside to it? The high levels of saturated fats in the ingredient itself. Mayonnaise has the ability of adding taste and zing to a bland salad and burger. So, there’s no doubt as to why the condiment is favoured by the masses, isn’t it?
As per studies, 100 g of mayonnaise contains 14 g of saturated fats and while it might not seem like much, it most definitely is. If you are going to have mayonnaise, make sure that the same doesn’t cross the two tablespoon mark in a day.
2. Butter
So, butter with toast does sound amazing, doesn’t it? What if I told you that butter is considered one of the highest saturated fat foods; even more than mayonnaise?
Studies have shown that the persistent consumption of butter and that too in an uncontrolled amount can adversely affect one’s health, especially on the heart. One of the most adverse effects of consumption of butter lies in the blockage of the heart due to spiked levels of cholesterol in the body.
100 g of butter consists of 51 g of unsaturated fat which is more than self explanatory as to why it is not the best kind of fat to reach for. Limit yourself to 1-2 teaspoons of butter in a day.
3. Processed Meat
Salami, sausages, bacon, chorizo – delectable and mouthwatering, aren’t they? So, did you know that while you were eating them you were pumping your body full of high saturated fat foods and high salt content too?
Yes, processed meats are loaded with salt and saturated fat foods along with animal fat too which make this one of the most unfavoured variety of saturated fatty acids. If you consuming these kind of alternatives to make up for the body’s protein requirement, switch to some other sources like chicken, pulses, eggs etc.
100 g of processed meat consists of 14.9 g of saturated fat which might not seem like much but literally, just a piece of sausage weighs more than 100 g sometimes, so do the math and look for yourself how much food high in saturated fat you are consuming.
4. Whipped Cream
I can literally hear the sounds of heart shattering somewhere. Yes, even whipped cream made its way to the list of saturated fats and that too, at an amazing position on the list.
Whipped cream is not just high on unsaturated fatty acids but has high sugar levels too which is ghastly for one’s health. If the cream is something you inadvertently need in your diet, switch to sour cream instead. It might not be the best on the palate but is good for your health in comparison to the other.
100 g of whipped cream contains 23 g of saturated fats. Try and avoid consuming whipped cream completely or switch it up with something healthier.
5. Cheese
Sorry to break it to you like this but it might be time to put down that piece of Roquefort or Blue Cheese that you just might be munching on. Why? Because, as per studies, cheese is considered to be one of the high saturated fat foods.
That being said, it is also necessary to know cheese is not just bad for you, it has nutritional benefits for the body as well but only when you consume it in sparing quantities and not over-consume it (which is the case majority of the times).
If you are eating a considerably high amount of cheese, make sure to balance it out with similar kind of exercises too. As per studies, 100 g of cheese consists of 21 g of saturated fats.
6. Brazil Nuts
Although Brazil nuts are definitely loaded with amazing benefits, they come with a prize too. It has good nutritional values but it is one of the foods high in saturated fats which are definitely not good for health.
Owing to their rich and buttery taste, there is always a possibility the people will consume it more than they should which is what contributes to the health ailments.
100 g of Brazil nuts consist of 15.1 g of saturated fats. If need be, switch to some other variants of nuts that are healthier for you like that of almonds, pine nuts etc.
7. Animal Fat
There is literally no point discussing that the addition of any kind of animal fat, be it lard, chicken fat, duck fat etc. always make the food taste richer and tastier. But, were you aware that while you were eating these, you were side by side digging your own grave and that is saying something.
These animal fats are loaded with saturated fats that are ghastly for one’s health. So, while you were enjoying the food, it doesn’t necessarily contribute to being a good option for you.
100 g of Animal fat contains about 39 g of saturated fats which is definitely a lot. Switch it up with something healthier like that of homemade ghee or something similar.
8. Cakes
How often do we end up eating a piece of cake just to cope with our ongoing struggles? Often too many, isn’t it? Cakes and even the pastries are loaded with not just gluten, sugar but whipped cream and icings which definitely lift your mood with that sugar rush but leave a very negative impact on your body.
Cakes and pastries are often categorized as the highest saturated fat foods and that itself should be more than telling as to why it needs to be avoided and that too, at all costs. It doesn’t matter if you eat them once in a while and maintain a healthy lifestyle but if the same is overdone, there are chances that it will end up affecting your heart and not in the best way possible.
100 g of cakes or pastries contain around 15 g of saturated fats which might not seem like much at one go but persistent eating of the same will definitely end up being a downer for your body.
9. Fried and Greasy Food
Do you want me to shatter your dreams and say that fried foods are a big NO when it comes to health? Shocked? Terrified? Perplexed? Or, even better, all of the above? We all badly crave the greasiness and the unhealthiness that comes with fried food, don’t we?
Well, consumption of fried food once in a while won’t hurt your health but when you change it to your breakfast, lunch and dinner routine, that’s where the problem arises. Most of the variant of fried foods are loaded with Trans fat and saturated fat which makes them fall in the category of foods high in saturated fat, which is not at all good for health.
100 g of fried food contains around 17 g of saturated fats and I am not even talking about the trans fat that takes up the space separately. And let’s be real, just a piece of fried chicken is more than 100 g, so calculate the effects now.
10. Sweetened Coconut
More often than not, we all like to munch on the very unhealthy variant of coconut, the sweetened one. The tender coconut or even the coconut oil is healthier in comparison to the processed, dried and flaked coconut which is rich in saturated fats.
100 g of sweetened coconut contains 57 g of saturated fat. This is probably one of the processed high saturated fat foods and just the mere thought of that is more than enough to make you understand why you need to limit the same to one or two tablespoons a week, if that.
As a takeaway note, make sure to switch your life up with healthier eating habits rather than relying on something that would take a toll on your health. Foods high in saturated fat might taste delectable, but the same is never good for someone’s health. These above mentioned list of saturated fats more or less cover the major category of foods that you need to avoid like the plague.
