Not all fat is bad, fat is in fact an essential part of the diet but we need to make sure we are eating the right type of fat. So which fats are ‘good’ and which ones are ‘bad?’…

What is fat?

Fats are made up of fatty acids and glycerol. The amount and type of fatty acids we eat influences what happens in our body.

Which foods contain fat?

Some fats are easy to spot in foods such as the white fat on meat, butter, margarines and cooking oils however other fats might not be so obvious such as in nuts, seeds, avocados, pastry pies, crisps, cakes and biscuits.

Fat is an essential ingredient for some food products, it adds flavour and is important for texture, for example melt in the mouth properties of chocolate and for the shortness of pastry. Fat is also needed for some cooking methods such as adding oil to fry foods.

Why do we need fat?

Fat is an essential component of body cells membranes, it is also needed for metabolic substances that help regulate many body functions and also helps to carry and absorb vitamins A, D, E and K.

Most fatty acids which we need for health can be made by the body but some fatty acids need to be provided in the diet as they body can not make them for itself, these are known as essential fatty acids.

Fat also provides the body with energy, providing 9 calories (energy) per gram of fat, which is more than any other nutrient. If we eat more energy than we use, the body stores it as fat under our skin so it is important to watch how much energy dense fatty foods we eat or choose lower fat alternatives instead.

How much fat do I need?

The Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) for total fat is 70g per day for adults which should be no more than 35% of daily energy.

What different types of fat are there?

Fats can be divided into 2 categories; saturated and trans (‘bad’) fats and unsaturated (‘good’) fats.

Saturated Fats

What are saturated fats?

Saturated fats are quite easy to spot as they are usually solid at room temperature.

Which foods contain saturated fat? High levels of saturated fat is found in fatty meat, cream, lard, full fat dairy products such as cheese, butter and yogurt as well as in cakes and pastries.

Why is eating too much saturated fat bad for my health?

We should reduce the amount of saturated fat in our diet as eating too much can increase our risk of developing coronary heart disease by raising ‘bad’ LDL blood cholesterol in our blood. This results in the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries and increases the risk of heart attacks.

How much saturated fat should I eat?

The UK target daily intake of saturated fat should be no more than 11% of energy. The current UK average intake is however 13% so it is important that we take steps to reduce the amount of saturated fat in our diets. The guideline daily amount (GDA) for adults is 20g per day.

How can I reduce the amount of saturated fat in my diet?

• Choose lean cuts of meat, trim off any visible fat, drain cooked mince and make sure you remove the skin off chicken.
• Grill, bake, poach or steam rather than frying or roasting so you don't need to add any extra fat.
• Eat more fish, especially oily fish, as an alternative to meat
• Choose low fat spreads instead of butter
• Use half fat, reduced fat and low fat dairy products such as semi skimmed milk and low fat yogurts
• Choose half fat cheese or extra mature cheese, this means you can use a smaller amount for the same amount of flavour
• Use fromage frais or low fat natural yogurt in recipes instead of cream, soured cream and crème fraiche.
• Choose foods which are labelled amber and green for saturated 
• Eat high fat foods very occasionally or as a treat

Click here to find out how we are reducing levels of saturated fat in our foods.

Trans Fats

What are Trans Fats?

There are 2 types of trans fats – those that are produced naturally by ruminant animals (e.g. cows) and so found in foods such as meat and dairy products and those which are man made through the hydrogenation process. The hydrogenation process is used to turn liquid oils into solid fats  i.e. vegetable oils into hydrogenated vegetable spreads.

Why is eating too much trans fat be bad for my health?

Trans fats have a similar effect on blood cholesterol as saturated fats. There is some evidence to suggest that trans fats may have a worse effect on blood cholesterol than saturated fats on a weight for weight basis however trans fats make up a much smaller part of our diets.

How much trans fat should I eat?

Current daily intakes in the UK are 1.2% of energy which is below the recommended daily intake of 2% of energy. For further information on hydrogenated fats please Download our Hydrogenated Fats Factsheet

Unsaturated fats

What are unsaturated fats?

Unsaturated fats are the ‘good’ fats, as these fats can benefit our health. These fats are usually liquid at room temperature (with exception of coconut oil which is higher in saturated fats).

Unlike saturated fat which increases bad cholesterol in the blood, unsaturated fat can help to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase the levels of good cholesterol (HDL). There are two types of unsaturated fats, mono unsaturated and polyunsaturated.

What are Mono Unsaturated Fats (MUFAs)?

MUFAs do not raise the levels of blood cholesterol (LDL). It may also help to reduce it while raising the levels of good ‘HDL’ cholesterol.

Rich sources include olive oil, rapeseed oil, nuts (macadamia, hazel & brazil), avocados and olive oil margarine.

What are Poly Unsaturated Fats (PUFAs)?

PUFAs are found in sunflower oil, corn oil, nut and seeds and also in oily fish. Some PUFAs are essential fatty acids (EFAs). This means our bodies are not able to make them for itself and so must be supplied from the diet. They are known as alpha linolenic acid (n-3) Omega 3 fatty acids, and linoleic acid (n-6) Omega 6 fatty acids. They are needed for the structure of cell membranes- helping to keep them fluid which is essential for optimal cell signalling.

Omega 6

Which foods contain omega 6?

Omega 6 is found in safflower oil, vegetable oils, sunflower oil, corn oil, soyabean oil and spreads made from these oils.

How much omega 6 should I eat?

The western diet tends to be sufficient in omega 6 fats, as vegetables oils are mainly used for cooking.

Omega 3

Which foods contain omega 3?

The best sources of the ‘parent’ Omega 3 fat (alpha linolenic acid) are linseed, flaxseed, pumpkin seed, walnut and rapeseed oils, however the most valuable omega 3 fatty acids are the long chain fatty acids called EPA - eicosapaentanoic acid & DHA - docosahaexanoic acid.

The body can make some long chain DHA and EPA from alpha linolenic acid but we are not very efficient at doing so.  DHA and EPA are however  found pre formed in oily fish, so the best way to make sure you are getting enough DHA and EPA is to eat at least one portion of mackerel, salmon, trout, fresh tuna, pilchards or sardines a week. 

Why is omega 3 beneficial to health?

EPA and DHA omega 3 fats are most beneficial to health as they are important for vision and brain development and can also help protect against heart disease by reducing the 'stickiness' of the blood.

Fatty acids also make up part of our brains; DHA is particularly important as it is required for our cells to communicate with each other- helping the brain to function properly.  There is some evidence to suggest that supplementing diets with omega 3 fish oils can improve mood, behaviour and cognitive performance in children and adults.

How much omega 3 rich fish should I eat?

We tend to be deficient in omega 3 fats especially the important long chain EPA and DHA. We should aim to eat 1.5g of long chain omega 3 fats which can be achieved by eating at least one portion (about 140g) of oily fish each week (but no more than 4 portions).

The Foods Standards Agency recommends that women who hope to have a baby one day should have a maximum of 2 portions of oily fish a week.

For further information on omega 3 fats Download Omega 3 Fats Fact Sheet

How we can help…

• From January 2007 we became the first retailer to completely ban the use of hydrogenated fat in all our foods.
• To help you choose lower fat alternatives look for our products that are labelled less than 1%, 2%, 3% or 5% fat, reduced fat, naturally low in fat, fat free and low fat (dairy products).
• All our Count on Us products are less than 3% fat (less than 3g of fat per 100g).
• We sell eggs and milk that contain Omega 3s – check the label on the pack.
• Eating one portion of our LochMuir salmon fillet (with the exception of tail fillets) provides your recommended weekly intake of omega 3. LochMuir salmon is reared slowly on a special diet meaning it is a richer source of omega 3 than other salmon
• Front of pack nutrition labelling can help you choose products lower in saturated fat and fat. Try select products which are green (low) or amber (medium) for saturated fat on front of pack and use the guideline daily amounts percentages to help you put into context the amount of saturated will contribute to your diet.
• Look out for our Eat Well sunflower on packaging which highlights the healthier option across different product groups, these products meet strict nutritional guidelines for calories, fat, saturated fat and salt