If you're trying to lower your LDL cholesterol, the American Heart Association's target is less than 6% of your calories from saturated fat: about 13 g a day on 2,000 calories. The general limits are 10% of calories in the US (22 g on 2,000 calories) and 30 g for men or 20 g for women in the UK.
General information, not medical advice
This tool is for education and doesn't diagnose or treat anything. Lab methods and targets vary, and your own targets depend on your overall heart risk, so go through your results with your doctor or another qualified health professional.
How the calculator works
Fat has 9 calories per gram. So your limit in grams is your daily calories × the percentage ÷ 9. On 2,000 calories, 6% is 120 calories, or 13 g of saturated fat. The calculator rounds down, because these are upper limits.
If you don't know your calories, the estimate uses the US Dietary Guidelines table of calorie needs by age, sex and activity level for adults 19 and over. It assumes an average height and a healthy weight, so treat it as a starting point. If you're actively losing weight, enter your calorie target instead.
Which limit should you follow?
| Guideline | Saturated fat limit | On 2,000 kcal |
|---|---|---|
| American Heart Association, especially for lowering LDL | Under 6% of calories | About 13 g |
| US Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030, general population | Under 10% of calories | About 22 g |
| NHS (UK), general population | 30 g men, 20 g women | Fixed amounts |
| US food labels (% Daily Value) | 20 g = 100% DV | 20 g |
The 10% and NHS limits are for the general population. If your LDL is high, the lower AHA target is the one that will move your numbers most. Your doctor or a dietitian may set a different target for you.
What 13 g of saturated fat looks like
Saturated fat adds up quickly. A croissant and a latte made with whole milk use most of 13 g before lunch. Two tablespoons of butter alone go over it. Some easy ways to stay under:
- Cook with olive or rapeseed (canola) oil instead of butter, ghee or coconut oil. A tablespoon of olive oil has about 2 g of saturated fat, against 7 g in butter and 11 g in coconut oil.
- Switch to 1% or skimmed milk. A cup of whole milk has about 4.5 g; skimmed has almost none.
- Choose lean protein like chicken breast, fish, beans and lentils more often than burgers, sausages and bacon.
- Treat cheese, cream, pastries and chocolate as portions, not defaults. One ounce (28 g) of cheddar is about 5 g.
- Check labels. In the UK, over 5 g per 100 g is high; in the US, 20% Daily Value or more per serving is high.
For ideas that fit the target, see desserts for high cholesterol and low-cholesterol snacks. Food values above are rounded from USDA FoodData Central and vary by brand and recipe.
Sources
- American Heart Association: Saturated fat
- NHS: Fat, the facts
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, and the 2020–2025 edition, Appendix 2 (estimated calorie needs)
- FDA: Daily Value on the Nutrition Facts label
- USDA FoodData Central (food values)
Frequently asked questions
How much saturated fat should I eat a day if I have high cholesterol?
The American Heart Association recommends getting less than 6% of your calories from saturated fat, which is about 13 g a day on 2,000 calories. This is the target most relevant if you are trying to lower LDL cholesterol. The general limits are higher: under 10% of calories in the US Dietary Guidelines (22 g on 2,000 calories), and 30 g for men or 20 g for women on the NHS.
Is 20g of saturated fat a day too much?
For most people 20 g is within the general limits: it is the NHS maximum for women and under 10% of calories for anyone eating 1,800 calories or more. If you are trying to lower your LDL, it is above the AHA target of about 13 g on 2,000 calories.
How many grams of saturated fat is 6% of 2,000 calories?
About 13 g. Six percent of 2,000 calories is 120 calories, and fat has 9 calories per gram, so 120 ÷ 9 = 13.3 g. On 1,800 calories it is 12 g, and on 2,500 calories it is 16 g.
What counts as high in saturated fat on a food label?
In the UK, more than 5 g of saturates per 100 g is high and 1.5 g or less per 100 g is low. On US labels, the % Daily Value is based on 20 g a day: 5% DV or less per serving is low and 20% DV or more is high.
Why does saturated fat raise LDL cholesterol?
Diets high in saturated fat reduce how quickly the liver clears LDL from the blood, so LDL levels rise. Swapping saturated fat for unsaturated fats, such as olive, rapeseed (canola) or soybean oil, nuts and oily fish, lowers LDL and is linked to lower heart disease risk.
Should I count total fat or saturated fat?
Saturated fat is the one that matters most for LDL. Unsaturated fats in foods like olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocado are part of a heart-healthy diet, so there is no need to cut total fat as hard as saturated fat.
Track this over time in Heart Tracker
Heart Tracker counts saturated fat for everything you log, by barcode, search or voice, against a daily target you set. Then it shows how your diet lines up with your next cholesterol result.
Track Saturated Fat Free