Danes are still eating too much saturated fat

The National Food Institute has analyzed dietary habits for a fifth time in the Danish national survey of diet and physical activity. According to the survey Danes’ intake of fat has increased and particularly the proportion of saturated fat is noteworthy.

More saturated fat in the diet

The Nordic nutrition recommendations from 2012 have an increased focus on fat quality - that is the type of fat we eat. The recommendations particularly recommend restricting saturated fat in the diet. However, data from the latest dietary survey shows that the average saturated fat content in Danes’ diet exceeds the recommendations by 50 percent.

”Unfortunately we have not seen a decrease in the intake of saturated fat compared with the previous dietary survey from five years ago. On the contrary there is a small increase among the adults, which is an unfortunate development,” Senior Advisor Agnes N. Pedersen from the National Food Institute says.

Scientific evidence has found a relationship between too much saturated fat in the diet and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Sources of saturated fat

The biggest sources of saturated fat in the diet are butter/butter-oil spreadable fats, cheese, dairy products, meat and meat products. Almost half (44 percent) of the saturated fat in the average diet comes from milk fats. The proportion of full-fat cheese in the adult diet has increased by approximately 15 percent.

”Consumers can reduce their intake of saturated fat and achieve a healthier composition of fatty acids by limiting their consumption of full-fat cheese, butter and meat, and instead exchange the items in their shopping baskets for reduced-fat dairy products, lean meat products, wholemeal bread, fish and fats from plant oils,” Agnes N. Pedersen explains.

"Butter and cream obviously aren’t banned from the diet, but you should eat these foods in moderation," she says.

Salt intake is still too high

The diet survey also shows that the Danish diet is still too high in salt. On a daily basis men on average eat 11 grams and women eat 8 grams compared with a recommended intake of 6 grams. Bread and meat products contribute highly to the salt intake, but cheese is also a contributor.

“The food industry is making a concerted effort to reduce the salt content in a range of foods and we expect this to have a positive effect on salt intake. However, consumers can also actively choose foods with a lower salt content and hold back on adding salt when cooking,” Agnes N. Pedersen explains.

Read more

Results from the Danish national survey of diet and physical activity are presented in the report: Danskernes kostvaner 2011-2013  (pdf – in Danish only with an English summary). Printed copies of the report can be purchased for 250 kroner from schultzboghandel.dk.

The survey also shows that more fish and vegetables and less sugar-sweetened soft drinks have contributed positively to the Danish dietary habits. Read more in the National Food Institute’s press release from 12 March 2015: Positive trends in the Danish diet.