Saturated fat, along with trans fat, is one of the unhealthy types of dietary fat. It can increase LDL blood cholesterol levels and hence the risk of heart disease, notes MayoClinic.com.
Caloric Content
Three compounds in food provide energy, which is measured in calories. Fat provides 9 calories per gram. The other compounds, protein and carbohydrates, each provide 4 calories per gram.
Recommendations
No more than 35 percent of your daily calories should come from fat, according to MayoClinic.com. However, as little as possible of this intake should come from saturated fat. It is not recommended that any trans fat be eaten.
Alternatives
While avoiding calories from saturated fat is part of a healthy diet, the body still requires fat. Get most or all of your fat calories from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats instead.
Identification
Find information about the calories from fat near the top of the food label, to the right of the total calories. Don't forget that this number represents only the calories from fat in one serving of the food. Look below the caloric information to see the total fat and how much of it is saturated fat.
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