Foods high in fat are some of the foods you should be avoiding
These types of food should be eaten very occasionally and shouldn't replace one of the other food groups because they are what's called ‘high energy' foods. This means that they contain a lot of calories in a small portion so they're very easy to over-eat.It is essential to have a small amount of fat in the diet (up to 30% of the calories we eat should come from fat), to protect our body and keep it warm, for essential fatty acids that the body can't make and for absorbing some vitamins.
However, we should eat fat-containing foods sparingly as fats contain high amounts of energy which is stored if it's not used up. Fats can be separated into different categories: saturated, unsaturated and trans fats.
Saturated fat
Saturated fats are found in many food products
such as sausages, pies, butter, ghee, cream, crème fraîche, ice-cream,
cheese, pastries, cakes and biscuits, some savoury snacks, some sweet
snacks, chocolate, coconut oil, coconut cream and palm oil.
We should limit the amount of saturated fat in the diet, because eating too much can increase the risk of developing heart disease.
Sugar
Sugar occurs naturally in some foods, like fruit and milk, and can be added to food, such as in drinks, sweets, cakes, biscuits, ice-cream and jam.
Despite the sugar in fruit they are a much better sweet snack than chocolate, biscuits or sweets because the vitamins, minerals and fibre they contain are very important to health. Sugary snacks offer few nutritional benefits and often contain added fat as well.
Eating too many sugary foods can lead to dental caries (tooth decay), especially in children.
Sugar in the mouth ferments and produces saliva to become more acidic which, in combination with the bacteria on the surface of the teeth (in the form of plaque) leads to the destruction of our tooth enamel.
Added sugars are most commonly associated with dental caries. The more frequently we eat sugary foods the more likely we are to be prone to dental caries, as we are exposing our teeth to the perfect conditions for tooth decay.
Limit the amount of sugary foods and drinks you consume and stick to having them at meal times rather than between meals. This reduces the time that your teeth are exposed to these conditions.
Most fresh fruit isn't associated with dental caries because the sugar isn't released from the fruit until it's chewed. However, fruit juices can cause dental caries as the sugar has already been released during the juicing process.
This is why it's better to consume fruit juices with your meals. Fruit juice is still a healthy component of the diet though, as it counts as one of your 5-a-day.
High Fat Foods
Meat is an excellent good source of protein,
vitamins and minerals. Its iron is used to develop healthy red blood
cells, zinc helps with healing and keeping our immune system healthy,
and vitamin B12 helps make red blood cells and is only found in foods
from animals, such as meat and milk.
Vegans are advised to take a vitamin B12 supplement because it's not found in plant foods.
Although meat contains many beneficial nutrients, it can also contain a lot of fat - mainly saturated fat - which can raise our cholesterol levels.
There is also convincing evidence that frequent consumption of red meat such as beef, pork and lamb and processed meats such as ham, bacon and canned meats increases the risk of developing some cancers.
Recommendations
Because of the links between cancer and high meat consumption, the World Cancer Research Fund recommends that we each eat no more than 500g (cooked weight) per week of red meat. As a rough guide, 500g of cooked red meat is around 700-750g of uncooked red meat.Cutting down on fat in meat
- When you buy meat choose leaner cuts with little visible white on the flesh
- Removing the skin from chicken before cooking results in a lower fat content than if you leave the skin on
- Don't eat too many processed meat products such as pies, sausage rolls, sausages, salami, pâté and beefburgers, because these are generally high in hidden fats and often high in salt too
- When cooking use a small amount of vegetable oil instead of animal fat. Sometimes the fat from the meat is enough to cook the meat in, especially with sausages and burgers
- Grill or braise meat rather than frying or roasting, so the fat can run away from the meat, or roast the meat on a metal grill
The world demand for meat is huge and it's having an impact on our environment. Evidence shows that the livestock sector is responsible for almost one-fifth of greenhouse gas emissions - more than the emissions from transport.
The climate and atmospheric changes caused by livestock, such as cattle, are mainly due to the gases they produce, which contribute to both greenhouse gases and acid rain. As our demand for meat increases the livestock industry contributes to deforestation to make way for more pastureland and crop fields for livestock feed.
Whilst the livestock industry can take measures to try and reduce the impact on the environment, as consumers, we can make a difference by simply reducing the amount of meat we eat.
Unsaturated Fat
Unsaturated fats are divided into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Neither is associated with the risk of heart disease like saturated
fat, but they are still high in calories so eating too much can lead to
weight gain. We should try to consume a higher proportion of unsaturated
than saturated fats in our diet.Some unsaturated fats in the diet provide essential fatty acids that the body can't produce, like the omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils and omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils.
Foods rich in unsaturated fat include oily fish, avocados, nuts and seeds, sunflower, rapeseed, olive and vegetable oils, and spreads made from these.
Trans fats
Trans fats tend to be found in processed foods such as cakes, biscuits, pastries and crisps.
These types of fats are hard for the body to deal with and are linked to a higher risk of heart disease, so they are best avoided.
Look out for ‘hydrogenated vegetable oil' or ‘partially hydrogenated vegetable oil' on the list of ingredients.
Cut down sugar
Tips for cutting down on sugar
- If you like sugar in hot drinks, gradually reduce the amount you add until you can tolerate it without sugar
- Swap sugary snacks for fruit
- Swap cakes or biscuits for a teacake, scone or currant bun
- Drink water, milk or fruit juice instead of sugary or fizzy drinks and if you still fancy a fizzy drink, dilute fruit juice with carbonated water (remember to dilute fruit juice for children)
- Look at traffic light labels on front of packs to make sure your food is low (green) or medium (amber) in sugar
- Choose tinned fruit in fruit juice instead of syrup
- Swap your sugar-coated cereal for a wholegrain option such as fruit and fibre, bran flakes or porridge. You could always add fresh fruit to sweeten it
Healthy Teeth
Tips on keeping your teeth healthy
- Brush your teeth regularly and pay regular visits to the dentist
- Cut down on foods and drinks with added sugar
- Eating sugar-containing foods with meals, not as snacks
- Drink sugary drinks through a straw
- Avoid keeping sugary drinks or sweets in your mouth for a long time
