What's Considered High Saturated Fat in Food?

October 25, 2025 •

4 min read

The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to less than 6% of your total daily calories. Understanding what's considered high saturated fat in food is key to managing your intake and protecting your cardiovascular health. This guide breaks down the official guidelines and practical tips for making healthier food choices.

Quick Summary

This article defines high saturated fat levels in food according to nutritional guidelines and helps readers interpret food labels to identify and manage their intake. It explains daily value percentages and per-100g rules for assessing saturated fat content.

Key Points

High Per-100g Limit: A food is considered high in saturated fat if it contains more than 5g per 100g, according to UK guidelines.
High Daily Value (DV): In the US, a product is high in saturated fat if it has 20% DV or more per serving.
Daily Calorie Limit: Health guidelines typically recommend consuming less than 10% of your total daily calories from saturated fat.
Source Matters: Saturated fat is mainly found in animal products like fatty meats, full-fat dairy, and tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil.
Strategic Swapping: Replacing high-saturated-fat foods with alternatives rich in unsaturated fats, such as using olive oil instead of butter or eating fish instead of fatty meat, is recommended.
Check the Label: Always read food labels and check both the grams and the % DV for saturated fat to accurately assess a food's content.
Portion Size is Key: The serving size on a nutrition label significantly impacts the stated saturated fat content, so it's important to be mindful of how much you're consuming.

Understanding Saturated Fat Guidelines

Determining what's considered high saturated fat in food can seem confusing, but various health organizations provide clear metrics to help consumers. Saturated fat is a type of dietary fat, often solid at room temperature, predominantly found in animal products like meat and dairy, as well as some plant-based tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil. Excessive consumption of saturated fat is linked to elevated LDL ('bad') cholesterol, which is a risk factor for heart disease.

Per-100g and Per-Serving Limits

One of the most practical ways to evaluate the saturated fat content of a food is by checking the nutrition label. Many countries, including the UK, use a simple red, amber, and green color-coding system based on a per-100g metric.

High Saturated Fat: More than 5g of saturated fat per 100g. A food with this level may be marked with a red light, indicating it should be eaten sparingly.
Medium Saturated Fat: Between 1.5g and 5g of saturated fat per 100g. An amber light suggests you can eat this food more often but should still be mindful of your overall intake.
Low Saturated Fat: 1.5g of saturated fat or less per 100g. A green light indicates a healthier choice.

In the US, nutrition labels use a slightly different approach, focusing on a percentage of the Daily Value (DV). A product with 20% DV or more for saturated fat per serving is considered a high source. A low source has 5% DV or less. Since this is calculated per serving, it's crucial to check the serving size, as consuming multiple servings can quickly add up.

Dietary Recommendations from Health Authorities

Beyond individual food labels, reputable health organizations offer general guidelines for overall daily intake. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that less than 10% of total daily calories come from saturated fat. The American Heart Association suggests an even lower target of 5% to 6% of total daily calories from saturated fat, especially for those with elevated LDL cholesterol.

For an individual consuming a 2,000-calorie diet, this translates to:

Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Less than 20 grams of saturated fat per day (10% of 2,000 calories).
American Heart Association: 11 to 13 grams or less of saturated fat per day (5-6% of 2,000 calories).

Comparing High vs. Low Saturated Fat Foods

Being able to identify foods high in saturated fat can help you make informed decisions. Many of these foods are well-known, while others can be surprising. Replacing foods high in saturated fat with healthier unsaturated fats is a key strategy for a heart-healthy diet.


Food Type	High Saturated Fat Examples	Low Saturated Fat Examples	Healthier Swaps
Meats	Fatty cuts of beef (ribs), sausages, processed bacon, lamb	Lean cuts of poultry (skinless breast), lean ground meats, white fish (cod, pollock)	Swap fatty burgers for fish tacos or chicken breast; choose back bacon over streaky bacon.
Dairy	Full-fat cheese, butter, whole milk, ice cream, cream	Low-fat or fat-free yogurt, skim milk, reduced-fat cottage cheese	Use reduced-fat cheese in dishes; choose low-fat yogurt for snacks.
Oils	Coconut oil, palm oil, butter, lard, ghee	Olive oil, canola oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil	Cook with olive oil instead of butter; use liquid vegetable oils instead of tropical oils.
Baked Goods & Snacks	Croissants, pies, biscuits, cakes, many pastries	Fruits, whole-grain toast, plain unsalted nuts	Snack on fruit or a small handful of nuts instead of a baked good.

Making Smarter Choices

To effectively reduce high saturated fat intake, focus on replacing rather than just eliminating. For instance, when making a sauce, opt for a tomato-based version instead of a creamy or cheesy one. In stir-fries, use less meat and more vegetables. When dining out, choose steamed or grilled dishes over creamy or fried options. Understanding the difference between high and low saturated fat foods empowers you to make small, impactful changes that support your heart health over the long term.

Conclusion

In summary, what's considered high saturated fat in food is defined by a combination of official labeling guidelines and daily intake recommendations from health organizations. For packaged foods, anything with more than 5g per 100g (or over 20% DV per serving in the US) is high. Overall, most adults are advised to consume less than 10% of their daily calories from saturated fat, with some recommendations being even lower. By reading labels carefully and making strategic swaps, it's possible to significantly lower your intake of high saturated fat foods and embrace a more heart-healthy eating pattern. For more detailed information on healthy dietary patterns, you can refer to the official guidelines from the American Heart Association.

Frequently Asked Questions

To easily spot a high saturated fat food, check the nutrition label. Look for products that have a high percentage of the Daily Value (%DV) for saturated fat (20% or more per serving) or, for UK labeling, a red traffic light symbol or more than 5g of saturates per 100g.

For an average 2,000-calorie diet, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest limiting saturated fat to less than 20 grams per day (or less than 10% of daily calories). The American Heart Association recommends an even stricter limit of 5-6% of daily calories for optimal heart health.

No, not all fats are bad. While saturated and trans fats are considered unhealthy, unsaturated fats—found in foods like avocados, nuts, and olive oil—are beneficial for heart health and should be included in your diet.

Some surprisingly high saturated fat foods include certain plant-based items like coconut oil and palm oil, as well as many baked goods, pastries, and creamy sauces. Even lean-sounding processed meats can be high in saturated fat.

Yes, you can. It's nearly impossible to eliminate all saturated fat from your diet, as many healthy foods contain small amounts. The key is moderation and focusing on an overall healthy eating pattern. Replacing high-saturated-fat choices with healthier alternatives is more important than achieving zero intake.

The main difference is the labeling metric. US labels focus on % Daily Value per serving, with 20% or higher being 'high'. UK labels use a per-100g metric, with over 5g per 100g being 'high,' often indicated by a red label.

Yes, diets high in saturated fat can raise levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, often referred to as 'bad' cholesterol. High LDL cholesterol is a significant risk factor for heart disease.