Fat content in food: tables for dairy products, meat & Co.
The fat content in foods can vary greatly. Here you will find tables with information on the fat content of individual foods, specifically using the example of dairy products, sausage and meat products or bread . The individual tables show the foods and their fat content per 100 grams or one deciliter of the food in question. The specification “fat content in percent” means the fat content per 100 milliliters or grams. Example: “cream cheese 4.0” means that 100 grams of cream cheese contain four grams of fat. Only edible parts of the food are taken into account (i.e. without bones or similar). The foods are arranged according to groups and within groups according to their fat content (the lowest-fat representatives at the top).
Why fat?
Fat in food is by far the main fattening factor. For this reason, calories are deliberately omitted so as not to tempt people to add them up. Counting makes little sense or can even lead to disorders in eating behavior. Much more important than the sum of the calories is their composition:
- If at all, carbohydrates  are only converted into body fat in large amounts (500 grams of pure carbohydrates per day, contained in 1.2 kilograms of bread, 3 kilograms of pasta, 3.5 kilograms of potatoes )  . Thus, the majority (about 70 percent) of the calories consumed should be in the form of filling carbohydrates.
- Foods with a low glycemic index , such as fruits, vegetables, beans  and peas , are also recommended .
- Although alcohol inhibits fat burning and increases the formation of fatty acids, it is hardly responsible for weight gain in isolation. However, in combination with high-fat food, alcohol clearly promotes the development of obesity.
- Saturated fatty acids (in animal products, especially meat) are involved in the development of numerous lifestyle diseases ( arteriosclerosis , diabetes , obesity ).
Certain foods often contain far more fat than you think. It is precisely these hidden fats that are responsible for the fact that we often eat the wrong food.
What is the benefit of using the fat content table?
The tables are not intended to provide accurate daily fat intake calculations. That makes little sense in the long run. Rather, this compilation is intended to raise awareness of the fact that many foods do not contain fat and that its amount would hardly be guessed.
With this information in mind, you will unconsciously make adjustments to your shopping, cooking, and eating. However, don’t feel compelled to eliminate foods from your menu altogether, especially those you like. After all  , many high-fat foods taste particularly good. Reduce and look for alternatives is the motto.
Pleasure does not necessarily depend on the quantity. It is therefore advisable to reduce the fatty part of a meal and replace it with an increased proportion of carbohydrates (potatoes, pasta, rice , wholemeal bread). There are also alternatives for numerous foods. It is easily possible to replace a product with a similar but much lower-fat product without having to make any sacrifices in terms of enjoyment.Â
accuracy and completeness of the information
The information on the fat content of the food is to be understood more as an approximate guide value. Absolute accuracy is not possible for the following reasons:
- Food comes from living organisms. The different growth, husbandry and nutrient supply result in fluctuations in the nutrient composition.
- If the food is a processed product, the content depends on the composition (recipe) used by the manufacturer. For many products, however, the nutrient composition is noted directly on the packaging.
- Different analytical methods can also lead to fluctuations in the information.
Of course, not all foods can be listed. The selection should be enough to give you a basic idea of ​​which foods are particularly low in fat or high in fat. This selection therefore does not claim to be complete.
Fat – milk and milk products
Milk  is not commonly considered a fattening food because it does not contain a high percentage of fat. However, one must remember that it is a liquid. You drank a liter of whole milk quickly and ingested at least 37 grams of fat. Skimmed milk or buttermilk  are good alternatives. Cream is particularly popular as a flavor carrier when used in sauces. With the use of half cream instead of full cream, there are hardly any losses in taste. Or try replacing some or all of the cream with quark.
Many types of cheese have a high fat content
With hardly any other food group are the discrepancies as great as with cheese . With some varieties (soft cheese) one might still suspect a high fat content, with others (feta or mozzarella) one is more surprised. The fact is that for many types of cheese there are hardly any options to avoid. So it’s a pity to miss out on such delicacies. So just reduce the portion. A reduced quantity does not mean reduced enjoyment at the same time. You just have to enjoy it consciously!
Fat content table for milk and milk products
| milk and milkproducts | Percentage of fat |
|---|---|
| Milch | |
| Skimmed milk | 0,1 |
| buttermilk | 0,5 |
| Milchdrink | 2,8 |
| Sour milk, natural | 3,5 |
| milk, full fat | 3,7 |
| Rahm | |
| sour cream | 18,0 |
| Halbrahm | 25,0 |
| full cream | 35,0 |
| Sour cream | 35,0 |
| Doppelrahm | 45,0 |
| yogurt | |
| Plain yoghurt low fat | 0,1 |
| Light fruit yoghurt | 0,3 |
| Partially skimmed natural yoghurt | 2,0 |
| Joghurt-Drink | 2,0 |
| fruit yoghurt | 2,5 |
| Natural full-fat yoghurt | 3,8 |
| Quark | |
| Beaten White | 0,0 |
| Low-fat quark nature | 0,2 |
| Quark light | 2,0 |
| fruit curd | 2,5 |
| Semi-fat quark nature | 5,0 |
| Butter, Margarine* | |
| Margarine light* | 40,0 |
| Butter, light | 49,0 |
| Margarine* | 80,0 |
| Butter | 83,0 |
| Cheese | |
| Grained cream cheese | 4,0 |
| Spread cheese quarter fat | 9,6 |
| Tilsiter semi-bold | 10,0 |
| Camembert semi-fat | 11,0 |
| Ready Fondue | 16,0 |
| Feta | 18,0 |
| Mozzarella | 19,0 |
| Cream cheese full fat | 21,0 |
| Camembert vollfett | 22,0 |
| Brie vollfett | 23,0 |
| Empty | 23,0 |
| Goat cheese full fat | 26,0 |
| Parmesan vollfett | 26,0 |
| Tilsiter full fat | 27,0 |
| Fribourger Vacherin | 28,0 |
| Gorgonzola | 28,0 |
| Cream cheese spread | 30,0 |
| Emmental full fat | 30,0 |
| Mascarpone | 31,5 |
| Appenzeller fat | 32,0 |
| Sbrinz | 33,0 |
| Rahm-Camembert | 34,0 |
*vegetable product
Fat – meat and sausages
Basically, the fat content in the meat depends significantly on the quality of the product. In general, the higher the quality of the meat, the lower the fat content. For example, a fillet contains significantly less fat than a roast or goulash. Of course, the purchase price increases with the quality. However, fat is desirable for certain cuts. Especially when grilling, fat prevents the meat from becoming too dry.
High fat content in sausages
Special attention should be paid to hidden fat in sausage products. Here the fat content varies between 13 and almost 50 percent. The difference in taste is not felt to the same extent as in body weight. Good alternatives are beef jerky and lean ham. They’re tasty, high in quality protein  , and contain a fraction of the fat found in sausages.
Animal fats contain saturated fatty acids. They are held particularly responsible for the harmful effects on the cardiovascular system in the event of excessive consumption.
Fat content table for meat and sausage products
| Meat and sausages | Percentage of fat |
|---|---|
| veal | |
| shredded | 3,0 |
| Filet | 3,8 |
| Leber | 4,0 |
| low fat roast | 4,8 |
| Plätzli | 5,0 |
| goulash | 6,3 |
| Kotelett | 7,6 |
| Mixed | 7,7 |
| premeal (breast) | 14,5 |
| beef | |
| boiled meat | 2,8 |
| Mager Ragout | 3,5 |
| Tatar | 3,7 |
| Filet | 4,5 |
| Entrecote | 6,4 |
| Boiled meat permeated | 7,0 |
| Chopped | 9,0 |
| Roast beef | 10,0 |
| goulash | 13,0 |
| pork meat | |
| Cookies (lean) | 2,7 |
| Low-fat roast | 7,8 |
| Filet | 9,9 |
| Kotelett | 11,0 |
| blue cord | 11,5 |
| goulash | 12,8 |
| Roast medium fat | 13,2 |
| shredded | 16,5 |
| Mixed | 20,0 |
| Chopped | 26,5 |
| lamb and sheep | |
| Filet | 3,4 |
| Leg | 10,5 |
| roast meat | 13,4 |
| Kotelett | 20,0 |
| Ragout / Voressen | 26,5 |
| Wild | |
| venison cutlet | 1,3 |
| Hase | 3,0 |
| Hirsch | 3,3 |
| saddle of venison | 3,5 |
| Reh | 4,3 |
| Venison pepper (with sauce) | 6,6 |
| cured meats | |
| blood sausage | 8,0 |
| veal | 11,0 |
| Kalbsbratwurst light | 13,0 |
| Wienerle light | 13,2 |
| Cervelat light | 13,5 |
| Liverwurst | 19,0 |
| Cervelat | 23,0 |
| Mixed cold cuts | 23,5 |
| veal sausage | 23,5 |
| meatloaf | 24,0 |
| Wienerle | 24,2 |
| Schüblig | 24,3 |
| Lyoner | 25,0 |
| Liver sausage spread | 26,1 |
| Mortadella | 29,3 |
| Salami | 35,0 |
| No problem | 41,5 |
| Mettwurst | 41,6 |
| Land hunter | 48,0 |
| ham | |
| ham | 4,6 |
| progressing | 6,6 |
| rolled ham | 9,0 |
| ham sausage | 14,7 |
| Rohschinken | 16,2 |
| dried meat | |
| Smoked Beef | 2,3 |
| Bündnerfleisch | 5,2 |
| Speck | |
| bacon lean | 40,0 |
| Bacon medium fat | 61,0 |
Fat content of fruits and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables (with the exception of avocados  and olives ) are very low in fat and are therefore recommended in unlimited quantities. In addition to vitamins and trace elements, legumes contain a lot of protein. Soy products in particular can also be very fatty.
Dried fruit is an ideal substitute for sweets. It contains very little fat and therefore does not make you fat. It also helps against constipation .
Fat in cereals and potatoes
With cereal products, attention should be paid to the composition of the muesli mixture. These can be low in fat but also unexpectedly high in (vegetable) fat. Chocolate muesli but also various fruit muesli can contain 20 and more percent fat. Rice and pasta are the best sources of starch and contain very little fat. Sauces and parmesan are (mostly) high in fat. The way potatoes are prepared (especially frying) is responsible for the fat content of the potato dishes. The potato itself contains little fat. It consists mainly of water and starch (carbohydrates).
Fat content of bread and baked goods
Bread is one of the most important sources of carbohydrates for us. Wholemeal bread contains a lot of fiber  and is therefore preferable to white bread. Bread alone is hardly to be regarded as a fattening food. The spread is usually the richest in fat on the “sandwich”.
It is obvious that sweet baked goods can hardly do without fat. What many people don’t realize, however, is that even less sweet pastries like whole grain biscuits and whole grain bars often contain a lot of fat. In addition to the high, hidden fat content, salty baked goods are also potential fatteners because they are often unconsciously eaten on the side (when watching TV, during a conversation).
| Violation | Percentage of fat |
|---|---|
| Baguette | 0,7 |
| semi-white bread | 0,7 |
| White bread | 1,0 |
| rue bread | 1,3 |
| five grain bread | 1,5 |
| Clay bread | 1,5 |
| crispbread | 2,0 |
| Weggli | 2,4 |
| Linseed bread | 4,1 |
| toast | 5,5 |
| whole grain toast | 7,0 |
| wholemeal rusk | 7,0 |
| Zwieback | 8,0 |
| Braid | 10,0 |
| Sesame crispbread | 13,1 |
| summit | 22,0 |
Fat in poultry, fish and eggs
Poultry and fish are excellent sources of protein. Most representatives contain very little fat. In terms of price, fish and chicken are also well below comparable meat products. The main source of fat in poultry is the skin, which is particularly tasty and rich in vitamins, but contains a lot of fat. It should be particularly emphasized that fatty acids, such as those found in fish and seafood ( omega-3 fatty acids ), can reduce the development of cardiovascular diseases ( heart attack , “hardening of the arteries”). This makes fish particularly healthy, which is why fish should be eaten at least twice a week.
That eggs (especially the yolk) are high in fat (and cholesterol ) seems to be a well-known fact. However, the sometimes very different recommendations regarding the maximum weekly consumption of eggs show that the experts do not agree. There is no doubt that excessive egg consumption is not healthy. Enjoyed in moderation, however, the egg is an excellent source of vitamins and also contains the highest quality protein of all.
fat content of sweets
The fat content in sweets is a bit of a problem because it is usually associated with refined white sugar. This mixture is particularly rich in energy, which promotes the storage of fat in the adipose tissue. Chocolate , marzipan  and nougat contain a particularly large amount of sugar and fat. Although these products are not inherently unhealthy (they mainly contain vegetable fats), one should be aware of the consequences of excessive consumption.
Ice cream, which is available in shops, often contains only moderate fat, because milk powder and similar products are used for the production, not cream.