Top 10 High Fat Foods to Avoid

Written by Daisy Whitbread, BSc (Hons) MSc DipIONPowered by USDA Nutrition Data
Top 10 High Fat Foods to Avoid

Fat is an essential macronutrient with a range of important functions, including insulating the body, helping us absorb vitamins and acting as an energy store.

We all need to consume fat, it is an essential part of a balanced diet. Not all fats are created equal, however, and reducing your consumption of the less healthy types (trans fats and saturated fats) is extremely beneficial to health, especially when these are replaced with healthy unsaturated fats. In particular, unsaturated fats can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and other conditions associated with inflammation in the body, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

While there are healthy sources of fat you should be eating, all the foods on this list should be avoided, or at least limited to a very occasional treat.

Each gram of fat contains 9 calories, making it the most calorie-dense nutrient and eating too much can therefore lead to weight gain.

The foods on this list contain unhealthy sources of fats, to be avoided or at least limited to a very occasional treat.

Of all the fats listed below, trans-fats are the most damaging to health and should be avoided. Read ingredient labels and avoid any trans or partially hydrogenated fats or oils.

High-fat foods to avoid include fast foods, whipped cream, fatty meats, fried foods, fatty snacks, processed meats, desserts, fatty salad dressings, animal fats, and trans-fats. The daily value (DV) for fat is 65 grams per day.

For more information, see the article on healthy high fat foods to eat, foods high in omega 3 fats, and the complete ranking of 200 foods high in fat.

List of Unhealthy High Fat Foods

A hamburger with cheese

#1: Fast Foods (Burger King Double Whopper With Cheese)

Fat
per Burger		Fat
per 100g		Fat
per 200 Calories
68g
(105% DV)		17g
(26% DV)		13g
(20% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Burger King Double Whopper With Cheese. (Source)

More Fast Foods High in Fat

  • 98% DV in McDonald's Deluxe Breakfast
  • 75% DV in a Taco Bell Taco Salad
  • 57% DV in a Croissant with Egg, Cheese, and Sausage

See all fast foods high in fat.

Ice-cream sunday with whipped cream

#2: Whipped Cream

Fat
per Cup Whipped		Fat
per 100g		Fat
per 200 Calories
37g
(57% DV)		31g
(48% DV)		21g
(33% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Light Whipping Cream. (Source)

More High Fat Dairy to Avoid

  • 32% DV in an ice-cream cone
  • 17% DV per oz of whipping cream
  • 16% DV per cup of eggnog
A serving of ribs

#3: Beef Short Ribs

Fat
per 3oz		Fat
per 100g		Fat
per 200 Calories
36g
(55% DV)		42g
(65% DV)		18g
(27% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Braised Beef Shortribs. (Source)

More High Fat Meats

  • 50% DV in a pork chop with fat
  • 31% DV in a roast chicken thigh
  • 22% DV in a roasted chicken wing

See all meats high in fat.

Fried Chicken

#4: Fried Foods (Fried Chicken)

Fat
in 1 Chicken Breast		Fat
per 100g		Fat
per 200 Calories
35g
(54% DV)		17g
(25% DV)		12g
(19% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Kfc Fried Chicken Breast. (Source)

More Fried Foods High in Fat

  • 45% DV in a medium order of onion rings
  • 28% DV in a medium order of French fries
Extruded corn chips

#5: Fatty Snacks (Corn Chips)

Fat
per Cup		Fat
per 100g		Fat
per 200 Calories
29g
(45% DV)		33g
(51% DV)		12g
(18% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Extruded Corn Chips. (Source)

More Unhealthy High Fat Snacks

  • 16% DV per oz of potato chips (crisps)
  • 14% DV per oz of a chocolate coconut granola bar
  • 13% DV per oz of plantain chips

See all the list of all high fat snacks.

Sausages

#6: Processed Meats (Brautwurst Sausage)

Fat
per Sausage		Fat
per 100g		Fat
per 200 Calories
25g
(38% DV)		29g
(45% DV)		18g
(27% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Pork Bratwurst. (Source)

More High Fat Processed Meats

  • 61% DV in 3oz of pepperoni
  • 12% DV in a slice of bologna
  • 12% DV in 2 slices of bacon
Dulce De Leche

#7: Desserts (Dulce De Leche)

Fat
per Cup		Fat
per 100g		Fat
per 200 Calories
22g
(34% DV)		7g
(11% DV)		5g
(7% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Dulce De Leche. (Source)

More Confections High in Fat

  • 50% DV in 1/2 cup of chocolate mousse
  • 43% DV in a slice of chocolate cake with frosting
  • 32% DV in a cream filled eclair
  • 19% DV in a piece of blueberry pie
  • 15% DV in a cake donut

See all sweets high in fat, and all baked foods high in fat.

Salad Dressings

#8: Salad Dressing

Fat
per 2fl Oz		Fat
per 100g		Fat
per 200 Calories
19g
(29% DV)		32g
(48% DV)		20g
(30% DV)
Nutrition Facts for McDonalds Creamy Ceasar Dressing. (Source)

Avoid creamy dressings and simply use olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and fresh herbs. Be sure to watch the sugar content of low-fat dressings.

Raw lamb with fat

#9: Animal Fat (Lard)

Fat
per Tblsp		Fat
per 100g		Fat
per 200 Calories
13g
(20% DV)		100g
(154% DV)		22g
(34% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Lard. (Source)

Choose plant oils high in omega 3 fats over animal fats. Fish oils are also a good choice.

Hydrogenated Fat

#10: Transfats (Margarine)

Fat
per Tblsp		Fat
per 100g		Fat
per 200 Calories
11g
(18% DV)		81g
(124% DV)		23g
(35% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Margarine (Unsalted). (Source)

No fat is more damaging to cardiovascular health than trans-fats. Trans-fats became popular for extending the shelf life of foods, however, they are slowly being phased out of use due to their damaging health effects.

Check ingredient labels and avoid any foods with trans-fats or partially hydrogenated fats. While margarine is listed here, not all margarine is high in trans-fats. Again, check ingredient labels.

See All 200 Foods High in Fat

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Printable list of high fat foods to avoid.


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Data Sources and References

  1. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central

MyFoodData provides nutrition data tools and articles to help you organize and understand the foods you eat. Read more...