Whilst we all need some fats in our diet, with current government guidelines recommending cutting down on all fats and replacing saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats, there’s lots to consider when it comes to using oils and fats as a caterer.
According to NHS England:
A small amount of fat is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. Fat is a source of essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make itself. Fat helps the body absorb vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E. These vitamins are fat-soluble, which means they can only be absorbed with the help of fats. Any fat that’s not used by your body’s cells or turned into energy is converted into body fat. Likewise, unused carbohydrates and proteins are also converted into body fat. All types of fat are high in energy. A gram of fat, whether it’s saturated or unsaturated, provides 9kcal (37kJ) of energy compared with 4kcal (17kJ) for carbohydrate and protein.
So, what’s the problem?
There are two main types of fat in the food we eat: saturated fat and unsaturated fat. Saturated fat is the one you need to watch out for, while having unsaturated fat (found in things like oily fish, avocado, unsalted nuts and seeds) can help lower blood cholesterol to protect your heart.
NHS Better Health Healthier Families
The maximum recommended daily amounts of saturated fat are 18 grams for 4-6 year olds, 22 grams for 7-10 year olds and 28 grams for those aged 11 years and over.
Saturated fats are commonly found in:
- Butter, lard, margarine and cheese
- Meat and processed meat products like sausages, bacon and pies
- Savoury snacks (which can often be fried)
- Chocolate confectionery, cakes, pastries and biscuits
Meanwhile, unsaturated fats can be divided into two types – polyunsaturated and monounsaturated and can mostly be found in plants and fish.
You might also come across trans fats (occurring naturally) and trans fatty acids, which are artificial produced chemically altered vegetable oils, commonly used to ensure a longer shelf life for processed foods by turning liquid fat into solid fat via a hydrogenation process.
Trans fats are found naturally at low levels in some foods, such as meat and dairy products. They can also be found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Hydrogenated vegetable oil must be declared on a food’s ingredients list if it’s been included. Like saturated fats, trans fats can raise cholesterol levels in the blood. The government recommends that adults should not have more than about 5g of trans fats a day. Most of the supermarkets in the UK have removed partially hydrogenated vegetable oil from all their own-brand products.
NHS England Facts About Fats
You can learn more about the different types of fats, the sources of these fats and their recommended daily amounts via the NHS Facts About Fat article.
What about products labelled as lower or low-fat?
NHS England states that:
For a product to be labelled lower fat, reduced fat, lite or light, it must contain at least 30% less fat than a similar product. But if the type of food in question is usually high in fat, the lower fat version may still be a high-fat food (17.5g or more of fat per 100g). For example, a lower fat mayonnaise may contain 30% less fat than the standard version, but it’s still high in fat. Also, foods that are lower in fat are not necessarily lower in calories. Sometimes the fat is replaced with sugar and the food may end up having a similar energy content to the regular version. To be sure of the fat and energy content, remember to check the nutrition label on the packet. Cutting down on fat is only one aspect of achieving a healthy diet.
How caterers can help: get oils and fats smart
There are lots of ways that caterers can take action to appropriately manage the amount of oils and fat used within and when preparing the meals and products they are serving.
Inform yourself about ingredients and products on sale
Always look at the nutritional information to find out about different levels and types of fats in your ingredients and packaged retail products and help you cut down on total fat and saturated fat (also listed as ‘saturates’ or ‘sat fats’).
Nutrition information can be presented in different ways on the front and back of packaging, including as total fat and saturated (or ‘of which saturates’) and carbohydrates.
Total fat
- High fat = more than 17.5g of fat per 100g
- Low fat = 3g of fat or less per 100g, or 1.5g of fat per 100ml for liquids (1.8g of fat per 100ml for semi-skimmed milk)
- Fat-free = 0.5g of fat or less per 100g or 100ml
Saturated fat
- High in sat fat = more than 5g of saturates per 100g
- Low in sat fat = 1.5g of saturates or less per 100g or 0.75g per 100ml for liquids
- Sat fat-free = 0.1g of saturates per 100g or 100ml
Oils and fats actions to take
- Review your recipes and identify opportunities to reduce fat by reducing level of saturated fats or swapping them for unsaturated fat sources instead
- Opt for lower fat alternatives wherever possible
- Use non-stick cooking equipment to help minimise the need for oils
- Switch to healthier cooking methods such as microwaving, grilling, boiling, braising, steaming, poaching, baking or cooking on a griddle
- Choose leaner cuts of meat and trim off excess fat
- Swap out some of the meat you use with vegetables, lentils or beans and save money at the same time
- Like to make a roux with butter and flour to thicken sauces? Opt for cornflour as an alternative thickener
Considerations for frying foods
If frying can’t be avoided, the Food Standards Agency has the following recommendations for caterers to follow:
- Use a healthier oil for frying like rapeseed or sunflower oil as these contain less saturated fat.
- Use lean mince or drain off the fat, trim excess fat from meat and remove skin from chicken whenever possible.
- Offer to grill or bake food instead of frying (for example, grilled fish, bacon and sausages) and consider making this the default cooking option. State the option clearly on your menu and train your staff to offer this option. Some customers prefer the option and it’s healthier.
- Use lower fat varieties or smaller amounts of these products;
- cheese naturally lower in fat, like Edam) or use less hard cheese
- cream (try single instead of double cream, half-fat crème fraîche or, better still, lower fat plain yogurts)
- milk (use skimmed, 1% fat or semi-skimmed as a default)
- butter/spreads (use low or reduced fat spreads or use less butter)
- yoghurt (choose low fat or fat free plain natural yogurts)
- mayonnaise (swap to light mayonnaise – it has up to 60% less fat)
- dressings (choose light varieties or use less oil in homemade dressings)
- If you need to deep fat fry, for the best results;
- Ensure the oil is heated to the correct temperature (160-165°C if you have a high efficiency fryer or 175°C if you have a traditional fryer). Too low and it will absorb too much fat, too high and it will spoil the oil.
- Avoid frying food more than once. Par-frying, double or triple cooking and reheating food in oil increases the fat content of the food.
- Bang, shake and drain off any excess fat. This can reduce fat absorption by 20%.
Further resources to help you get oils and fats smart
Follow these links for further information about managing oils and fats as healthily as possible as a caterer.
Looking at Labels guide from the British Nutrition Foundation
Bristish Heart Foundation – comparing cooking fats
Resource created: November 2023
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash.