Fat is important for our overall health. Some fats are important to keep our heart healthy while others should be limited. 

What do red meat, ice cream and butter have in common? They all have saturated fat.  You may have heard about saturated fat and its link to blood cholesterol and heart disease. Read on to get all the facts about saturated fat so you can make heart healthy food choices.

What is Saturated Fat?

Saturated fat is a type of fat naturally found in foods.  It is usually hard at room temperature and opaque.  Opaque means you cannot see through it.

SATURATED FAT

Saturated fat raises total blood cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol levels, which can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Saturated fat may also increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. This type of fat in naturally found in foods from animal sources, such as red meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products. It is found in foods such as butter, whole milk, ice cream, desi ghee, yogurt, cheese, paneer. Saturated fat is also found in meat: for example, the skin on the chicken, kebabs, the white marbling in beef or pork, or the white strips when you eat a piece of bacon. Plant sources of saturated fat palm, coconut oil, coconut.

Try these simple steps:

• Choose low-fat milk more often, such as skim, 1% or 2%
• When choosing yogurt look for something made with less than 2% MF
•  If making dahi, samiah, or kheer at home, use skim or 1% milk
• When choosing cheese, look for a lower fat cheese. Less 20% MF
• Trim visible fat from meat before cooking. Skin chicken before cooking.
• Brown meat in a non-stick pan, drain extra fat first and then add the “turka”.
• Mutton and lamb can be high in saturated fat, so use lean, trimmed cuts. Remove any oil that you see on top of the curry. 
• Use a good quality non-stick frying pan for “turka”. Measure the oil with a spoon instead of pouring it.
• Avoid adding boondhi, or pakoris to raita or kadhi. For raita try grated cucumber, or a tomato/onion mixture. For Kadhi try cauliflower, potatoes and spinach.
• Sweets, or “Mithai” such as milk cake, ladoos, parsad, barfi, gajrela, halva and rasgoolas etc. are made with butter, ghee, whole and condensed milk. Save these for special occasions and have small quantities.

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