Fats: Visible and hidden

Visible fats are those readily seen - butter, suet, chicken fat,  lard, margarine and others. Foods contributing to the high fat consumption in this country (USA), are mostly those containing hidden fats, i.e.  not visible to the eye. Practically all foods of animal origin contain a large proportion of hidden fat (meats, eggs, some dairy products). Fifty per cent or more of the total calories of these foods may come from fat. For example, whole milk has 170 calories per cup; skim milk 85 calories. Rich cakes and pies contain about 50% of their calories as fat calories. Many plain appearing cakes and cookies, such as pound cake and brownies, have much fat tucked away. The fats of these foods are predominantly saturated.


Types of fats


A fat is never exclusively one type but is a combination of 3  types (saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated). All three types are found in foods in varying amounts and proportions. 

Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature; they are  generally of animal origin and tend to raise the cholesterol levels in  the blood. Polyunsaturated fats tend to be liquid at room temperature, and are present in substantial amounts in liquid vegetable and fish oils. They have the capacity to lower cholesterol levels.  Monounsaturated fats have little effect on cholesterol one way  or the other.

Foods according to types of fats

 

Predominantly Saturated Fats

Predominantly Polyunsaturated Fats    

Predominantly Monounsaturated Fats

Meat - beef veal* lamb, pork and their products such as cold cuts, sausages

Liquid vegetable oils** corn, cottonseed,  safflower, soybean Olive oil

Eggs

Margarines containing substantial amounts of the above oils in liquid form. Olives

Whole milk

Fish Avocados

Whole milk cheese

Mayonnaise, salad, dressing Cashew nuts

Cream sweet and sour

Nuts - walnuts, filberts, pecans, almonds, peanuts  

Ice cream

Peanut butter

Butter

Products made from or with the above

Some margarines

 note:
*Veal and poultry (chicken and turkey) are relatively low in total fat. 
Veal fat is predominantly saturated; chicken and turkey fat is more
 favorably distributed between polyunsaturated and saturated fat.
**Peanut oil is not polyunsaturated to the same degree as the other 
oils.

 

 

 

Lard

Hydrogenated shortenings

Chocolate

Coconut

Coconut oil

Products made from or with the above such as most cakes pastry cookies gravy sauces and many snack foods

 

Fats of animal origin such as suet, lard, butter and also artificially hardened (hydrogenated) vegetable shortenings are saturated and should be avoided.

Vegetable oils such as corn, safflower, soybean, cottonseed  are used for their polyunsaturated fat content. For more polyunsaturated than saturated fats in the diet, use 1 1/2 ounces of oil (3 tablespoons) daily in salads and in cooking. Make salad dressings  with vegetable oil and substitute oil for other fats in cooking and baking. Select only those margarines that list liquid vegetable oils as the first ingredient.

 

Lunch

 

Food product Fat amount in grams
Baked potatoes 0.5
Cucumber 0.5
Banana 0.5
Smoked fillet 1.0
Liver paste "3%" 3.0
Chicken without skin 4.0
Turkey 5.0
Salted meat 5.0
Smoked salmon 5.0
Pastrami 5.0
Meat 5.0
Cheese 20+ 11.0
Marinated herring 11.0
Egg 11.0
Chicken sausage 15.0
Turkey sausage 15.0
Greenland halibut 15.0
Mackerel+ tomato sauce 15.0
Cheese 30+ 17.0
Meat ball 17.0
Sausage 22.0
Tuna in oil 22.0
Liver paste 24.0
Cheese 45+ 27.0
Mayonnaise salad 30.0
Cheese 60+ 32.0
Mayonnaise, light 40.0
Roast 42.0
Salami 54.0
Mayonnaise 80.0!

 

Dinner

 

Food product Fat amount in grams
Cod, cooked 1.0
Tuna in water 1.0
Shrimp 1.0
Muscles 2.0
Turkey 2.0
Liver 2.0
Veal 5.0
Salmon 6.0
Duck without skin 6.0
Beef filet 8.0

Heart

10.0

Greenland halibut  

15.0

Chicken with skin

15.0

Mackerel   

16.0

Hamburger steak   

16.0

Meat ball     

17.0

Tuna in oil

22.0

Sausage 22.0
Veal, with fat 23.0
eel 28.0
Duck with skin 35.0
Bacon 37.0
Pork loin 50.0!