I'm concerned about saturated fat. What's an easy way to track how much I'm getting?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting saturated fat to 10% or less of your daily calories.

To figure out what that means for you, start with the number of calories you normally eat or want to eat in a day. Multiply that number by 10%.

If you normally eat 2,000 calories a day, no more than 200 calories should come from saturated fat. What is that in grams? There are 9 calories in a gram of fat, so that equals 22 grams.

Saturated fat occurs naturally in meat and dairy products. It's added to many baked goods. A main source of saturated fat in the typical U.S. diet are sandwiches, many of which combine meat and cheese. This includes burgers, lunchmeat sandwiches, and tacos in addition to other dishes such as casseroles. Desserts and sweet snacks also are sources of saturated fat in the U.S. diet.

The Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods lists the amount of saturated fat for one serving.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends cutting back on saturated fats by replacing them with unsaturated fats. For example, you can cut 5 grams of saturated fat by replacing 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. You could also choose a plant protein such as beans, lentils or tofu instead of meat.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

We use the data you provide to deliver you the content you requested. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, we may combine your email and website data with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, we will only use your protected health information as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices. You may opt out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the email.

March 03, 2023 See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. Health foods
  2. Alcohol use
  3. Alkaline water
  4. Artificial sweeteners and other sugar substitutes
  5. Autism spectrum disorder and digestive symptoms
  6. Breastfeeding nutrition: Tips for moms
  7. Caffeine: How much is too much?
  8. Is caffeine dehydrating?
  9. Calorie calculator
  10. Can whole-grain foods lower blood pressure?
  11. Carbohydrates
  12. Chart of high-fiber foods
  13. Cholesterol: Top foods to improve your numbers
  14. Coconut water: Is it super hydrating?
  15. Coffee and health
  16. Diet soda: How much is too much?
  17. Dietary fats
  18. Dietary fiber
  19. Prickly pear cactus
  20. Does soy really affect breast cancer risk?
  21. High-protein diets
  22. Is there a special diet for Crohn's disease?
  23. Juicing
  24. Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
  25. Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
  26. Omega-3 in fish
  27. Omega-6 fatty acids
  28. Phenylalanine
  29. Portion control
  30. Sodium
  31. Taurine in energy drinks
  32. Underweight: Add pounds healthfully
  33. Daily water requirement
  34. Trans fat
  35. Yerba mate