What is Fats?

Fat is essential to a healthy diet as it gives us energy and helps our bodies absorb vitamins and nutrients from the foods we eat. However, fats contain more calories than carbohydrates and protein so it's important to limit how much you consume. Eating too much fat too often can lead to weight gain and other health problems.

Unsaturated fats

Unsaturated fats can help to lower your blood cholesterol, reducing your risk of developing heart disease. They also provide your body with essential fatty acids, important for keeping your muscles, skin and other tissue healthy.

These types of fats are found in:

• oily fish - such as mackerel and salmon
• avocados
• nuts and seeds
• plant-based oils and spreads - such as olive and rapeseed
• Saturated and trans fat

Saturated and trans fat raise the level of cholesterol in your blood, increasing your risk of developing heart disease. You'll benefit from reducing your intake of these type of fats.

Saturated fats are found in:

• processed meat products - such as sausages and beef burgers
• butter and lard
• full-fat cream, milk and ice-cream
• hard cheese - such as parmesan and cheddar
• biscuits, cakes and pastries

Daily intake

The government recommends that:

• men should have 95g of fat (30g of saturates) in their diet each day
• women should have 70g of fat (20g of saturates) in their diet each day