When walking in your local supermarket, you will probably be able to spot the cakes and microwaves meals that are highest in fat.

Of course, that pack of 6 eclairs laden with cream and chocolate are going to be high in trans fats and saturated fats so, if you are looking to reduce the amount of fat you intake in your diet, you will want to avoid them.

As is the way with the world, causing frustration for dieters, it isn’t just a cream filled eclair that may be your biggest obstacle if you’re dieting or wanting to eat a more balanced diet. There are everyday foods which are hidden treasure troves of fats, which can cause issues with weight and cholesterol. 

So, it’s worth having an idea of what you are up against when it comes to the fat content in food and in this article, you will be walked through 18 of the most commonly eaten foods which have a shockingly high fat content.

How Much Fat is Good?

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According to the Mayo Clinic, the total fat in your diet should make up 20-35% of your daily calorie intake. 

So, if you are sticking to a 2,000 calorie per day diet. You would need to multiply the 2000 calories by 0.20 (20%) to get 400 calories and then, multiply it by 0.35 (35%) to get 700 calories. This multiplication will vary based on the number of calories you are eating per day but it will give you an idea of how many calories you can consume in pure fat. 

For a man, the recommended intake of calories in general is between 2,200 and 3,200. For a woman, RDI is 2,000. This will need to be altered if you have a manual job, are training for a marathon or if you are pregnant. 

Avocados

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The health food that vegans can’t stop gushing about, avocados are high in their fat content, specifically their monounsaturated fat content. 

Half of an avocado provides about 160 calories, meaning if you eat the entire fruit, you are eating 320 calories; that’s nearly 400 calories in one fruit! Yes, avocados are healthier than a cheeseburger but each fruit contains around 30g of fat, with 20g being monounsaturated fat.

So, if you are looking to lower the amount of fat in your diet, maybe skip the avocado toast for a while!

Cheese 

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OK, there are many cheeses out there, and this article cannot cover them all! 

However, when it comes to the most commonly eaten cheeses, like cheddar, parmesan, brie and camembert, there is over 20g of fat in each 100g serving. Cheddar is surprisingly high in fat, topping this list with 35.7g of fat per 100g. So, if you love cheese on toast as a snack but want to cut down the fat, maybe try the low fat cheese for a while!

Dark Chocolate

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Dark chocolate is another food that has been hailed as a health food, provided it is consumed in small quantities. 

The reasons seem clear- 100g of dark chocolate, on average, contains about 30-35 g of fat. This will, of course, vary based on the brand you buy but, some chocolates with higher cocoa solids are none to still have a high fat content. These are healthy fats but, if you are looking to lose weight, it may be best to skip the sweet stuff altogether.

Whole Eggs

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A study conducted in 1999 by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that eggs, particularly the yolks, are very high in fat. This led to something of a scare in the 90’s about eating eggs, with many people cutting them from their diet. 

An average egg (around 50g) contains 4.5-5g of fat. This will increase or decrease with the size of the egg, so, eat smaller ones if you want to cut out the fat.

Fatty Fish

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Unfortunately, it’s in the name! Luckily, a lot of the fats in fatty-fish are omega-3 fatty acids, which help to keep the brain, the skin and other organs healthy.

If you are looking to minimize the amount of fat in your diet though, a 100g piece of salmon has an average of 13g of fat, 100g of mackerel has 13-18g of fat, sardines have 10-14g of fat per 100g and trout has 6-11g of fat.

Nuts

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Those tasty snacks, like walnuts, pecans and almonds are full of tasty oils which, unfortunately, have a lot of fat in them.

100g of almonds has 50-55g of fat, with macadamia nuts having 70-78g of fat, walnuts have 65g of fat per 100g and pecans have 70g of fat.

Chia Seeds

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Chia seeds are the poppy seeds of the 2000’s, with vegans and health enthusiasts the world over adding them to muffins, smoothies and breads to add to the taste and texture.

Of course, these are healthy seeds, being high in polyunsaturated fats, but a 100g serving of chia seeds packs a shocking 31g of fat. That’s a lot of fat for such small seeds! So, if you are looking to cut back on fatty foods, maybe give the chia bread a miss for now!

Flaxseeds

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Again, flaxseed or linseed are not going to be loaded with trans fats. They are, however, high in polyunsaturated fats, which is an essential omega-3 fatty acid. 

If you were to eat 100g of flaxseed, you would be eating 42g of fat. However, flaxseeds are a fantastic source of fiber, so are well worth eating, in small quantities!

Olive Oil

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As this is a liquid, it will be measured in mls, which is equal to grams! You aren’t really going to find 100g of olive oil in a shop!
Olive oil is the health food of the Mediterranean and while it is full of monounsaturated fats, which are great for heart health, each ml you consume contains 1g of fat. So, 100ml equals 100g of fat.

Coconut Oil 

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Contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs).

Coconut oil became a huge health food a few years back, with people swapping out vegetable oils and butter for it in recipes. If you were to eat 100g of coconut oil, you would be adding 99g of fat to your diet, through monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Butter

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Butter is a tasty addition to any cake recipe, sandwich or even when you are frying food. 

However, it is high in saturated fats, with 100g equalling 81g of fat. So, if you love the taste of butter with bacon, it may be time to swap it out for low fat margarine.

Ghee

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Ghee, which is also known as clarified butter, poses the same issue as regular butter. It is tasty and is great with bread and sugary snacks but, if you ate 100g of ghee, you would be consuming 99.5g of fat, with the main fat being saturated fat. So, not great if you are looking to go on a low fat diet. 

Heavy Cream

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Now, back to those eclairs in the intro!

Heavy cream is used in baking regularly and is also known as whipping cream. It’s tasty but really needs to be a treat, as eating 100g of it constitutes eating 38g of saturated fat.

There are low fat options, according to Healthline, which has the same creamy taste that many people are looking for. 

Full-fat Yogurt

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A lot of people love yogurt; it’s tasty, refreshing on a hot day and goes well with fruit. 

So, when eating full fat yogurt, you should note that 100g has about 4-7g of fat, based on the milk used, and any additional ingredients.

Bacon

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You knew bacon was going to be on this list!

Regular bacon, per 100g, packs 40-45g of fat, with lean bacon packing 25-30g of fat. It’s tasty, but not ideal if you are looking to engage on a low fat diet.

Lard 

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Few people eat lard raw, but as it is rendered pork fat, it is great in baking and cooking. Unsurprisingly, lard packs a shocking 100g of fat per 100g serving. So, if you can’t cut it out of your diet, keep it to a minimum!

Peanut Butter

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In a 100g serving of peanut butter, there is an average of 50g of fat. This will vary based on the brand and whether or not it is full fat peanut butter. This food is high in both polyunsaturated fats, and monounsaturated fats.

So, try to limit your PB and J sandwiches if you are looking to go on a low fat diet, or to lose some weight.

Sesame Seeds

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Last on the list, sesame seeds are used to season bread, and are used in salads to add texture and crunch. 

They are nutritious but per 100g, there is around 49g of fat. Yes, these fats are omega-3 fatty acids but, if you are looking to reduce your fat intake, best to avoid sesame seeds if you can.

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