Less than 10% of energy intake should be derived from saturated fats. Some individuals (i.e. people with LDL cholesterol ≥100 mg/dl) may benefit from lowering saturated fat intake to <7% of energy intake.
Always keep in mind that saturated fats are the fats that increase the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Therefore, you should avoid eating saturated fats as well as trans fats.
Mono and polyunsaturated fats, including Omega 3s, are healthy fats that can greatly lower the risk of developing heart diseases.
For reference, here are some foods for each fat category:
- Foods high in saturated fats: butter, coconut oil, lard, cream, whipping cream, cheese.
- Foods high in monounsaturated fats: olives and olive oil, avocados and avocado oil, macadamias and macadamia oil, almonds, pecans, peanuts.
- Foods high in polyunsaturated fats: fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies), eggs, chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, walnuts.