The National Diet and Nutrition Survey indicated that in 2000/2001, the average daily intake of fat was 87g and 62g for men and women respectively, providing around 36/35% of food energy in the diet.
These levels are significantly lower than when the previous survey was carried out in 1986/1987, and shows target levels are being met. However, the survey also showed that saturated fat intakes were higher than the recommended level of 11%, at 13% of energy. As saturated fat is the fat to watch out for, these levels must be reduced in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The survey also provided information on the sources of fat in the UK diet. The main source of fat is meat and meat products, with cakes and biscuits closely following. Perhaps surprisingly, potatoes & savoury snacks together combined only contribute to 9% of our daily energy intake:
- Cereals & Cereal Products (including cakes & biscuits) 33%
- Meat & Meat products 17%
- Milk and Milk Products 10%
- Drinks 10%
- Potatoes & Savoury Snacks 9%
- Sugars, Preserves & Confectionery 6%
- Fruits, Nuts & Vegetables (excluding potatoes) 6%
- Fat Spreads 4%
- Fish & Fish Dishes 3%
- Eggs & Egg Dishes 2%
(NDNS, 2004)
