Dietary fat directly impacts blood cholesterol levels, and therefore impacts cardiovascular health. Since heart disease remains the largest >cause of death in the United States2, we feel that Smart Choice items should be, above all, heart-healthy. While there is no clear consensus regarding the exact amount of recommended dietary fat, some aspects of dietary fats are well-documented; these form the basis of our criteria regarding fats, detailed below.
Total Fat: 27 grams/meal
- Research has shown that diets providing up to 35% of total calories from fat, as long as most of the fat is unsaturated, can help maintain or improve blood cholesterol levels3; The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends this range of fat as part of its Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes.
- 27 grams of fat provide 35% of calories in a 700 calorie meal.
Saturated Fat: 6 grams/meal
- The American Heart Association recommends that 7% or fewer calories come from saturated fat to decrease cardiovascular disease risk.
- 6 grams saturated fat provides 7% of calories in a 700 calorie meal.
Trans Fat: 0 grams/meal
- The dangers of trans fat are well documented. Trans fats decrease “good” HDL cholesterol and increase “bad” LDL cholesterol in the blood.
- Trans fat must now be listed on Nutrition Facts labels4, and the US has taken steps to remove trans fats in processed foods.5
- The federal Institute of Medicine and Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 recommend “that trans fatty acid consumption be as low as possible.”
Cholesterol: 100 grams/meal
- A maximum of 300 mg dietary cholesterol per day is widely recommended for heart health. ,
- 100 mg is one-third of the 300 mg daily total.