List of High Fat Food Items

The American Heart Association recommends that your daily intake of fat be less than 30 percent of the total calories you consume. The worst type of fat is cholesterol. It is especially important to consume less food that contains saturated and trans fats, as these also raise your cholesterol level. Some fats, such as those in cooking oils and peanut butter, however, are actually healthy for you.

A fast food burger with fries. (Image: irman/iStock/Getty Images)

Dairy Products & Creamers

Whole milk and other dairy products such as cheese and ice cream contain a great deal of fat. It is a good idea to slowly switch from consuming whole milk to two percent and eventually to one percent fat or skim (non-fat) milk. Grocery store cheeses are available that are made from skim milk. Non-dairy coffee and tea creamers also contain a great deal of saturated fat. You should gradually try to consume skim milk instead of these creamers.

Fast Foods

Fast food joints offer food that contains large quantities of unhealthy saturated and trans-fats. Cheeseburgers, french fries, soda and almost every other item listed on a fast food menu are harmful for your body. Limit your fast food consumption to lower your cholesterol level and reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

Butter and Partially Hydrogenated Oils

Butter and partially hydrogenated oils contain a high amount of unhealthy trans fats. Partially hydrogenated oils in particular are often used to cook fried food. You should thus avoid eating anything that is deep-fried, as it is likely to contain these harmful oils.

Cooking Oils

Cooking oils-including olive, soybean and canola oils-have a high amount of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat, which makes consuming them healthy for you. You should, in fact, cook with these common vegetable oils to add healthy fats to your food consumption.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter contains a lot of protein and healthy monounsaturated fats. Because of the high fat content of peanut butter, however, you should be careful how much of it you consume if you're trying to limit your calorie intake. It is also important to try to eat only natural peanut butter, as it is lower in sugar and higher in the protein and healthy fats that benefit your body.