World Heart Federation - Bad Fats

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How to change your
diet in 10 easy steps

Fat should make up a maximum of 30% of your daily energy intake, which means that an average woman consuming 2,000 calories a day should eat no more than 70g of fat and an average man consuming 2,500 calories a day no more than 85g.

You should also try to reduce your consumption of bad fats and replace them with good fats:

  1. Read the label before you buy.
    Compare the saturated fat content of similar products and watch out for partially hydrogenated oils.
  2. Fry and roast as little as possible.
    Try grilling, poaching or steaming instead.
  3. Cook with olive, sunflower, corn and rapeseed oils or soft margarine.
    The healthier alternatives to butter or other animal fats.
  4. Spread your bread or toast with a low-fat margarine.
    Most are high in Omega 3 and 6 and contain vitamins.
  5. Put some extra vegetables or pulses in your casseroles and stews.
    Also reduce the amount of meat.
  6. Switch to low-fat dairy products.
    Such as reduced-fat cheese, yoghurt and skimmed or semi-skimmed milk.
  7. Remove the fat from meat before you cook it.
    And grill instead of frying.
  8. Take the skin off chicken.
    Do this before you cook it to reduce the calories in your meal.
  9. Eat two oily fish meals a week.
    Whether it's smoked salmon or sardines on toast.
  10. Snack on fresh or dried fruit, vegetable sticks and unsalted nuts.
    Choose these over crisps, biscuits or chocolate if you get hungry between meals.

Download Steps

Make the Change

It’s easy to eat less bad fat but still enjoy your food. Here are some ideas for a tasty, varied diet that will really do you good.

High in Bad Fats

Breakfast
Milky coffee and croissant
Lunch
Baked potato with cheese
Dinner
Chicken curry

1407 Calories / 79g Fat

Bad Fats

High in Good Fats

Breakfast
Unsweetened muesli and yogurt
Lunch
Whole grain tuna salad sandwich with low-fat margarine
Dinner
Spicy grilled chicken breasts with green vegetables

754 Calories / 17g Fat

Good Fats

Other Steps

  • Exercise

    Any increase in physical activity will improve your health. Even if you start really slowly, aim to build up to at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five times a week.

  • Smoking

    Don't smoke! Stopping smoking is the single most important step you can take to reduce the risk of heart disease. Of course stopping can also have other health benefits. If you want help and advice on how to quit, visit [link to website].

  • Weight

    Carrying a lot of extra weight can put a lot of pressure on your heart and excess body fat produces hormones and other chemicals that can affect your health. For information on how to lose weight and keep it off, visit [link to website].

  • Alcohol

    While there is some scientific evidence that small amounts of alcohol may help protect the heart against coronary disease, persistently drinking more than 3-4 units per day can increase the risk of high blood pressure, which is a risk factor associated with cardiovascular disease. For more information, visit [link to website].

See the effect bad fats have on your body

Effect of Change

Since 1991 Poland has seen dramatic year on year decreases in deaths from heart disease (between 6.7 and 10% per year). This has been largely attributed to the replacement of dietary saturated fat with vegetable fat and oils following the removal of subsidies on butter, and the availability of cheaper vegetable oils.

Other factors included a rise in fruit consumption and decreased tobacco consumption. Improvements in medical treatment contributed little, if anything, to the change.

Source: Zantonski WA, Willett W Changes in dietary fat and declining coronary heart disease in Poland: population based study. BMJ, 2005, 331:187-188; Zantonski WA, Willett WC Dramatic decline in coronary heart disease mortality in Poland. Second look (unpublished manuscript).