Fats, spreads and oils

Safefood

Fats, spreads and oils provide essential fats, but these are only needed in very small amounts.

How many servings should I have every day?

Use as little as possible.

What types of foods should I eat?

Choose low fat and reduced fat spreads and oils such as rapeseed or olive oil (monunsaturated) instead of hard margarine, lard or butter. To have a low level of saturated fat, which is very important for your heart, you need to limit butter to once a week.Mayonnaise and oil-based salad dressings also count towards your oil intake. Choose lower fat options.

What is a serving?

All oils contain the same amount of calories, so measure out the oil, don’t just pour it onto the pan.

One serving is

  • 1 portion pack of reduced-fat or light spread for 2 slices of bread
  • 1 teaspoon of rapeseed, olive, canola, sunflower or corn oil per person when cooking

Download the food guide on Fats, spreads and oils

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