Foods high in Saturated fat
Fatty acids with no double bonds, solid at room temperature. UK & EU labels surface this because high intake is associated with raised LDL cholesterol.
About Saturated fat
Saturated fats are fatty acids with no double bonds between their carbon atoms. The straight, packed structure makes them solid at room temperature and chemically stable. They occur mainly in animal fats (meat, butter, dairy) and tropical oils (coconut, palm).
Most saturated fats raise LDL cholesterol in most people, which is why UK and EU food labels highlight them. The picture has nuance: not all saturated fatty acids behave identically, and replacing them with refined carbohydrate doesn't improve cardiovascular outcomes, replacing them with unsaturated fats does.
UK guidance: saturated fat under 11% of total daily calories, about 30 g for women and 35 g for men. Most UK adults exceed this.
Foods high in saturated fat, nuts, nuts, coconut, and more
Ranked by how much you get per calorie, so foods are not rewarded for simply being dry or concentrated. Values from USDA FoodData Central, McCance & Widdowson's CoFID, ANSES Ciqual, and other public nutrition databases. Amounts in grams.
Per calorie is the default here because it answers what to eat: ranked purely by amount, a list of the richest foods fills up with dried and concentrated things nobody eats a plateful of. Switch to per 100 grams above if concentration is what you are after. Our foods low in saturated fat list is measured per 100 grams instead, and that is deliberate too: per calorie would reward a food for carrying plenty of energy and none of the nutrient, which puts cooking oil below lettuce on a low-sodium list.
- Nuts, coconut milk, canned (liquid expressed from grated meat and water) 9.6g per 100 grams
- Nuts, coconut cream, raw (liquid expressed from grated meat) 9.32g per 100 grams
- Coconut, milk, canned, reduced fat 9.28g per 100 grams
- Coconut oil 9.22g per 100 grams
- Coconut milk, used in cooking 9.19g per 100 grams
- Nuts, coconut milk, raw (liquid expressed from grated meat and water) 9.19g per 100 grams
- Nuts, coconut milk, frozen (liquid expressed from grated meat and water) 9.13g per 100 grams
- Nuts, coconut meat, dried (desiccated), creamed 8.96g per 100 grams
- Coconut, flesh only, fresh 8.94g per 100 grams
- Coconut, desiccated 8.84g per 100 grams
- Coconut, grated & desiccated 8.7g per 100 grams
- Coconut, toasted, salted 8.69g per 100 grams
Common questions about Saturated fat
- How much saturated fat is OK?
- UK guidance: under 11% of total daily calories, about 30 g for women and 35 g for men. Most UK adults exceed this.
- Is saturated fat really bad?
- Most saturated fats raise LDL cholesterol in most people, which is associated with cardiovascular risk. The picture has nuance, not all saturated fatty acids behave identically, but the broad guidance is to keep it moderate.
- Should I replace saturated fat with carbs?
- No, replacing it with refined carbohydrate doesn't improve cardiovascular outcomes. Replacing with unsaturated fats (olive oil, nuts, oily fish) does.
- What about coconut oil?
- Coconut oil is mostly saturated fat. It's been marketed as healthy because of its medium-chain triglycerides, but standard evidence still shows it raises LDL cholesterol.