Limiting foods that are high in saturated fats and eating healthy foods is a way we can help decrease our chances of getting heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women. Someone with diabetes is two to four more times likely to develop heart disease than people without diabetes.
Foods that are high in saturated fats have been shown to increase cholesterol in the blood. High levels of the bad (LDL) cholesterol can then increase your risk for heart disease. Some foods that contain saturated fat are:
Chicken fat
Pork fat (lard)
Shortening
Coconut oil
Butter
Margarine
Like all other nutrients that we eat, saturated fat is not eaten by itself. Instead it is found in many different foods and eaten with a combination of other nutrients. Below are some foods where you can find saturated fats.
Desserts (cakes, pies, cookies, pastries, donuts, croissants, ice cream)
Sausage, bacon, hot dogs, ribs
Fried chicken
Full fat dairy foods (whole milk, sour cream, cream cheese)
Cuts of meat with visible fat
Ground beef or pork that is not lean
Cheese
The foods listed below are better choices to help decrease the risk of heart disease:
Lean cuts of meat in 3-4 ounce servings (palm of your hand)
Liquid oils (use sparingly, even though lower in saturated fat, the calorie content is the same)
Low or nonfat dairy products (skim or 1% milk, reduced fat cheeses)
Fruit and veggies (not in a pie or fried)
Nonfat Greek or Icelandic yogurt (alone or in place of cream cheese or sour cream)
Whole grains
Beans and legumes
A diet that is rich in healthy foods helps to prevent not only heart disease, but other chronic diseases as well. Small changes that you make today can make a huge difference down the road. If you are working towards eating healthier, try choosing one thing you will work on starting today.
Grace graduated in 1993 from UT Southwestern Medical Center Allied Health Sciences School with a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition. A few years later she concentrated her efforts in diabetes and became a certified diabetes care and education specialist. During her career she has worked as a registered dietitian nutritionist in long-term care, renal dialysis, home health, and diabetes outpatient care. Currently self-employed, she specializes in wellness and diabetes. Grace is a member of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists. Grace now writes nutrition content for websites using her education, current research, and 29 years of experience.