7 Foods High in Saturated Fat You Might Be Eating Daily

Your body needs fat for various functions, including energy production, hormone production, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), maintaining body temperature, and more. However, eating too much saturated fat has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

Saturated fats are found mostly in animal-based foods such as red meat, lard, and dairy products. They’re also found in coconut oil, baked goods, and fast foods.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommended limiting saturated fat and replacing some of it with unsaturated fats.

Coconut oil is one of the products with the highest saturated fat content. One tablespoon (12 grams) contains about 10 grams of saturated fat.

One meta-analysis showed that consuming coconut oil can increase low-density lipoprotein, or LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Another study showed that consuming 5 grams of virgin coconut oil daily for a month decreased blood LDL levels in people with heart disease.

These differences may result from factors such as the participants’ health, study size, and participants’ total saturated fat intake in addition to coconut oil.

Full-fat dairy products have varying amounts of saturated fat. Milk has less than 2%, while butter has about 45%. Here is the saturated fat content of some dairy products:

• Butter: Over 45%
• Heavy cream: 20%
• Cheddar cheese: 19%
• Parmesan cheese: 17%
• Feta cheese: 11%
• Ricotta: 7%
• Ice cream: 7%
• Yogurt: Over 2%
• Milk: Less than 2%

Dairy also contains carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals. If you need to manage your saturated fat intake, choose low-fat or fat-free dairy alternatives.

Red meat and processed meats such as sausages contain more saturated fat than poultry and fish. Here is the saturated fat content of some meat and meat products:

• Ribeye beef steak (100 grams (g)): 8 g
• Ground beef 20% fat (100 g): 6.8 g
• Ground beef 10% fat (100 g): 5 g
• Pork sausage link (80 g): 7.6 g
• Breakfast sausage link (19 g): 2.1 g
• Chicken breast (100 g): 0.3 g
• Turkey breast (100 g): 0.9 g
• A fatty fish, mackerel (100 g): 3.2 g
• Haddock (100 g): 0.1 g

One study of over 140,000 participants showed that people with the highest intake of red meat had a significantly higher risk for cardiovascular diseases compared to participants with the lowest red meat intake.

Replacing half a serving of red meat with plant foods such as nuts and whole grains was linked to a 14% and 7% decrease in cardiovascular risk, respectively.

Beef tallow is made by separating fat from meat and purifying it. One tablespoon of beef tallow (about 13 grams) contains over 6 grams of saturated fat, which is almost 50%.

All chocolate contains saturated fat because it contains cocoa butter, milk fat (sometimes), and sugar. One piece of milk chocolate (7 grams) contains about 1.3 grams of saturated fat.

The cocoa in chocolate contains antioxidant compounds and might help decrease LDL cholesterol. However, most chocolate contains a lot of sugar and saturated fats. The sugar content can vary greatly, so choose darker chocolate with minimal added sugar.

Baked goods are generally made with saturated fat sources such as butter, shortening, and margarine. They are also likely to contain eggs and full-fat dairy. Therefore, the saturated fat content in baked goods can vary widely depending on the ingredients used.

Here is the general saturated fat content of some common baked goods:

• One slice of pound cake (115 grams (g)): 5.5 g
• One small croissant: 4.9 g
• One slice of apple pie (155 g): 4.7 g
• Oatmeal cookie (27 g): 1.3 g

Fried, fast, and ultra-processed foods are high in saturated fat and generally have low nutritional value. For example, one small serving of fries (71 grams) contains about 1.6 grams of saturated fat, while one half-cup of boiled potatoes (78 grams) contains 0.02 grams of saturated fat.

Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease-related death, type 2 diabetes, anxiety, and sleep issues. However, researchers also stated that the evidence was weak.

Unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) are found in many foods in varying amounts. They can support heart health. 

Unsaturated fat alternatives include the following:

• Use olive oil or avocado oil instead of coconut oil or beef tallow,
• Try low-fat dairy or nonfat dairy instead of full-fat dairy
• Try poultry, fish, and plant-based proteins such as lentils, beans, and tofu instead of red and processed meats
• Use cacao nibs instead of chocolate when baking
• Make baked goods made with low-saturated fats such as olive oil and avocado oil

Here are some tips for reducing saturated fat intake:

• Remove visible fats from meats
• Swap red meat for poultry and fish occasionally
• Choose cooking oils with less saturated fat
• Opt for steaming, poaching, grilling, baking, or roasting instead of frying
• Read nutrition facts labels

It’s important not to label foods as unhealthy just because they contain saturated fats. A diet can include all foods in moderation.

Some foods that contain saturated fats, such as fatty fish and dairy products, also provide essential nutrients. The best approach might be to limit ultra-processed and fast foods that contain little to no nutritional value yet are high in saturated fats. 

Red meat, processed meats, full-fat dairy, beef tallow, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and fast or fried foods are among the foods high in saturated fats.

Consuming too much saturated fat might increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Replacing some of it with unsaturated fats can support heart health.