How Much Fat Is Right For You?
The answer depends on how many kilojoules you eat. This in turn depends on your stage of life, and particularly, your energy expenditure. Food Facts
- Not every food you eat needs to contain 30% of fat from kilojoules.
- Over the course of a day, some foods you eat may be lower in fat, some higher.
The combination of foods eaten over the course of several days should average between 10 - 30% kilojoules from fat.
How To Manage Fat The Easy Way
- Substitute lower fat or fat free versions of traditional foods. For example, use KRAFT FREE* dressing on your salad.
- Balance a higher fat food with a lower fat food. If you like meat sandwiches, for example, go ahead and enjoy your favourite meat, but also use a slice of KRAFT FREE* Singles and KRAFT FREE* Mayonnaise to "balance" the fat in the sandwich. Don't forget salad and wholemeal bread.
- Try lower fat products in your favourite recipes. For example, use fat free sour cream, PHILADELPHIA* Light Cream Cheese, or low fat yoghurt in your favourite dip recipe.
Change your cooking methods. If you typically fry chicken, fish or potatoes, try grilling or baking these foods with a seasoning and coating mixture.
Cholesterol Check
Health experts recommend limiting your intake of cholesterol.
- Having too much saturated fat in the diet contributes to high blood cholesterol.
- Maintaining a healthy body weight and being physically active can help keep blood cholesterol in check.
Eating a diet that is high in fruits, vegetables and grain products that contain dietary fibre is most beneficial to maintain a healthy blood cholesterol level.
Questions & Answers About Fat & Cholesterol
Q = Is fat really needed in the diet?
A = Yes, some fat is absolutely necessary for good health. Fat carries fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K needed in the body for various functions. Fat is also a source of energy for the body and, together with carbohydrate, can be important in fuelling long periods of aerobic physical activities like walking, cycling and swimming.
Q = What is cholesterol?
A = Cholesterol is a building block of cells, vitamins and hormones in the body. The human body makes cholesterol in all cells of the body and also gets cholesterol from some foods in the diet. It is transported in the bloodstream to other cells.
Learn About Label Terms For Fat
Here's what food product labels tell you about fat and cholesterol:
| Fat Free |
Less than 0.15 grams total fat per 100 grams of food. |
| Low Fat |
No more than 3 grams per 100 grams of food. |
| Reduced/Lower Fat, Less Fat |
The food must not contain more than 75% of the total fat content of the same quantity of the reference food; and there must be a reduction of at least 3 grams of fat per 100 grams of food, or 1.5 grams of fat per 100 grams of liquid food, compared with the same quantity of the reference food. |
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Cholesterol Free |
Less than 3 milligrams cholesterol per 100 grams food and meet conditions of a 'low fat' claim or the fatty acid component of the food must contain not more than 20% saturated fatty acids and not less than 40% cis-polyunsaturated or as-monounsaturated fatty acids. |
| Low Cholesterol |
20 milligrams or less cholesterol and per 100 grams food. |
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Reference: Code of Practice on Nutrient Claims in Food Labels and Advertisements, Food Standards, Australia More About This Subject
Fats & Cholesterol
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