Saturated fats are solid fats, such as those found in meat, butter, lard, and coconut oil (as opposed to liquid oils, like olive oil, which contains mainly unsaturated fats). Over-consumption of saturated fat has been linked with health problems, especially increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

More recently, however, this association has been questioned and it is now believed that the effects of different types of saturated fats may vary. For example, there may be some saturated fats in coconut oil, which actually have health benefits. It is believed that saturated fats in processed foods are more likely to be detrimental, compared to those naturally occurring in foods. More research is needed on the topic, to enable consumers to make more informed choices.

We do know that eating more of the unsaturated or healthy fats is beneficial to health, so substituting these for saturated fats, along with limiting your overall saturated fat intake is recommended.

Foods high in saturated fat include whipped cream, dried coconut, fatty meats, processed meats, desserts, oils, cheese, milk, butter, and chocolate. The daily value (DV) for saturated fat is 20 grams per day.

Below is a list of the top ten foods highest in saturated fat, for more see the lists of healthy high fat foods, unhealthy high fat foods to avoid, and high cholesterol foods.