Low-Fat Foods
Dietary fats give you nutrients needed for your health. Healthy fats support brain and nerve function, support heart health and can lower chronic inflammation.
But too much fat or the wrong kinds of fats can add too many calories to your diet and harm your health. Learn about the different kinds of fat and what to look for as you choose low-fat foods.
Types of fats
The two main types of fats are:
Unsaturated fats, like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, can have benefits for your health. Oils like olive, canola, corn, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower are good sources of unsaturated fats. These fats are also found in nuts, seeds, and avocados.
Saturated fats are found in foods like butter, shortening, and lard (animal fats). Palm, palm kernel, and coconut oil, along with many dairy products and meats, contain saturated fats.
Saturated fat can cause inflammation in your body. This inflammation can increase your risk of cancer, especially colorectal cancer. Limiting your intake of saturated fats as a part of an anti-inflammatory diet might decrease your risk of several other cancers.
How much fat to eat in a day
For most people, fats should provide no more than 35% of the calories eaten in a day. Saturated fats should provide no more than 10% of those calories. If you are on a low-fat diet, talk to your dietitian or health care team about how much fat you should eat each day.
A gram of fat contain more calories than a gram of carbohydrate or a gram of protein. It’s important to check to see how much fat is in the foods you eat.
When reading labels, look for low-fat foods. These foods should have 3 grams of fat or less per 100-gram serving. This means that 30% or less of the calories come from fat.
Foods like margarine, mayonnaise, and some salad dressings get most of their calories from fat. Light versions of these foods have less than half of the fat of the regular version of the food. Choosing low-fat foods can help you meet your dietary goals.
How to tell the amount of fat a food contains
Some foods are naturally lower in fat, such as fruits and vegetables.
For other foods, reading labels can help you pick lower-fat options. Look for the following terms:
- Low-fat: Contains 3 grams of fat or less per serving or no more than 30% of calories for a meal or main dish
- Low-saturated fat: Contains 1 gram or less of saturated fat per serving or no more than 10% of calories for a meal or main dish
- Lean: Contains less than 10 grams of total fat, less than 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per 100 gram serving (about 3 3/4 ounces by weight per meal or main dish)
- Extra lean: Contains less than 5 grams fat, less than 2 grams saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per serving and per 100 grams for a meal or main dish
- Lite or light: This term is used for reduced-fat versions of foods that get at least half of their calories from fat. To be light, the total fat amount must be less than 50% of the regular version. For example, if the regular version contains 12 grams of fat, the “lite” version can have no more than 6 grams of fat.
Low-fat foods to include in your diet
When choosing lower fat and healthy fat foods to include in your diet, consider these:
Dairy products and dairy alternatives
- Low-fat (1%) or fat-free (skim) yogurt, cottage cheese, or milk
- Calcium-fortified soy products
- Neufchatel (a lower-fat spreadable French cheese), “light” cream cheese, or fat-free cream cheese
- Fat-free American cheese or other types of fat-free cheeses
Fish, meat, poultry, and other protein
- Crab, white fish, and shrimp
- Fish like tuna, salmon, and sardines are higher in fat, but contain healthy fats
- Chicken and turkey breast (without skin), or ground turkey breast
- Egg whites or egg substitutes
- Nuts and seeds
- Beans, peas, and lentils, cooked (or canned) without added fats or fatty meats
- Veggie burgers
- Lean cuts of red meat (look for “loin” in the name) or extra-lean ground beef
Grains, cereals, and pastas
- Hot cereal, like oatmeal or grits
- Cold cereals, with the exception of granola
- Rice, such as whole-grain brown rice
- Noodles, such as whole-grain pasta with low-fat sauces
- Whole-grain bagels, pita bread, or English muffins
- Low-fat crackers and breads
- Soft tortillas, made with corn or whole wheat
Fruits and vegetables
- Fruits, including fresh, frozen, or canned (in their own juice)
- Vegetables, including fresh, frozen, or canned
Other foods
- Broth-based soups made with vegetable stock or low-fat chicken stock
- Sauces, pudding, or shakes made with skim milk
- Salsa
- Mustard
Light foods to use in small amounts
These light foods supply half the fat (or less) than the regular version of the food, but most of their calories still come from fat. They should be used in small amounts by people on low-fat diets.
- Light margarine
- Light mayonnaise
- Reduced-calorie salad dressings
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Written by
- References
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as editors and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Choose Healthy Fats. Eatright.org. Accessed at https://www.eatright.org/food/food-groups/fats/choose-healthy-fats on August 4, 2025.
American Institute for Cancer Research. Can an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Reduce Cancer Risk? Aicr.org. Accessed at https://www.aicr.org/resources/blog/can-an-anti-inflammatory-diet-reduce-cancer-risk/ on August 6, 2025.
US Department of Agriculture. Rethink Fats. Accessed at https://www.myplate.gov/ on August 4, 2025.
US Food and Drug Administration. Guidance for Industry: Food Labeling Guide. January 2013. Accessed at https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/guidance-industry-food-labeling-guide on August 4, 2025.
Last Revised: August 8, 2025
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.
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