Is 6 Grams of Saturated Fat Too Much in a Food?

You probably already know that consuming a diet high in saturated fat increases your risk for chronic diseases, particularly heart disease. However, you may feel confused when assessing how much saturated fat is OK to include in your diet. Arming yourself with this knowledge will protect your heart and keep your health on track. The U.S. Department of Agriculture created dietary fat guidelines to make it easier for you to make the right food choices when it comes to saturated fat.

Saturated Fat in Food

• Aim to limit saturated fat to less than 10 percent of your daily calories, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For the average American, this means consuming 20 grams of saturated fat or less daily. Based on those recommended values, 6 grams of saturated fat in a dish is not a cause for concern. It could be if you eat several meals per day that have 6 grams or more of saturated fat.
  Junk food and processed food contain excess saturated fat. Foods with more than 5 grams of saturated fat per 100-gram serving are considered high in saturated fat, according to Mary Enig, author of the book "Know Your Fats." A typical fast food cheeseburger contains anywhere from 10 to 15 grams of saturated fat, explains Enig.

Foods with 6 Grams of Saturated Fat

• Saturated fat lurks in butter, whole-fat milk, full-fat cheeses, salad dressings, cold cuts, ice cream, hot dogs and marbled meat. A 1-ounce serving of regular cheddar cheese contains 6 grams of saturated fat and a 3-ounce portion of ground beef contains 6.1 grams of saturated fat. The medium-sized croissant that you may reach for at breakfast contains 6.6 grams of saturated fat.
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Managing Saturated Fat Intake

• Aim to eat healthy most of the time. If you are currently healthy, occasionally indulging in a food that is high in saturated fat won't break the bank. When you do splurge on a food item that contains 6 grams of saturated fat, monitor your intake for the rest of the day so that you avoid going over 10 percent of your daily calories. Instead of having regular ground beef, try extra lean ground beef. A 3-ounce serving contains 2.6 grams of saturated fat. Trade whole milk for low-fat milk. One cup of low-fat milk contains 1.5 grams of saturated fat. Substitute regular ice cream for low-fat frozen yogurt. A 1/2-cup serving of low-fat frozen yogurt contains 2 grams of saturated fat.

Choose Healthier Fats

• Choose healthier fats, such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, most of the time. You can get monounsaturated fats from olive oil, avocados, poultry, nuts and seeds. Polyunsaturated fats are found in soy, safflower oil, sunflower oil and peanut oil. Omega-3 fats are a type of polyunsaturated fat found in oily fish as well as flaxseeds and walnuts. Salmon, mackerel and herring are examples of fatty fish rich in omega-3 fats.