Just the Facts!

for Healthier School Meals

Limit Saturated Fat

 To help lower saturated fat 

in school meals, serve lean 

meats; encourage more fruits, 

vegetables, dry beans and 

peas (legumes), and whole 

grains; and serve only fat-free 

(skim) or low-fat (1%) milk. 

 Help protect students’ hearts 

by serving foods containing 

or prepared with healthy oils 

rather than saturated fats or 

trans fats.

KEY ISSUES: When it comes to heart health, the type and amount of fat we 

eat in food make a big difference. Most Americans need to 

decrease their intakes of foods containing saturated fat to lower the 

risk of heart disease. Most of the saturated fat in our diet comes from 

cheese and other higher fat dairy products, beef, and baked goods 

like cakes, cookies, and doughnuts. Foods higher in saturated fat 

usually contain more cholesterol, too. 

Many students can fill up on the extra calories from saturated fats 

and then not get the nutrients they need to grow and be healthy. 

These extra calories from saturated fats also make it harder for 

students to grow at a healthy weight. You can help by offering 

students fewer foods that are high in saturated fats or replacing 

saturated fats with oils. Look for the amount of “saturated fat,” 

“trans fat,” and “cholesterol” per serving listed on the Nutrition Facts 

label. Choose foods that have the least amount of all three. The 

school meal patterns require that less than 10 percent of calories for 

both breakfast and lunch come from saturated fat.

Easy ways to 

follow the 2010 

Dietary Guidelines for 

Recipe for Success Americans

 Skip butter and cream in sauces or as a seasoning for vegetables. 

Try herbs and spices to add more flavor without the fat. If you need to 

use some fat, try oils with healthier fats, such as olive or canola oils.

 Choose lean cuts of meats with minimal visible fat. Trim away all of 

the visible fat from meat and poultry before cooking. Remove the skin 

on poultry. 

 Prepare fish baked, broiled, or grilled rather than breaded and fried.

 Offer fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk and yogurt. They’re rich 

in protein, calcium, and other nutrients and lower in saturated fat and 

cholesterol. 

 Try low-fat cottage cheese, part-skim 

mozzarella, ricotta, and other low-fat or 

reduced-fat cheeses.

Some foods are 

naturally high in 

healthy oils:

•	 Nuts

•	 Olives

•	 Some fish

•	 Avocados

Instead of any 

of these:

Beef, pork,

& chicken fat

Butter, cream,

& milk fat

Coconut, palm,

& palm kernel

oils

Hydrogenated

oil

Partially

hydrogenated

oil

Shortening

Choose one

of these:

Soft tub

margarine

Canola oil

Corn oil

Cottonseed oil

Olive oil

Safflower oil

Sunflower oil
USDA Foods Program

USDA has reduced or eliminated saturated fat and cholesterol in foods offered to schools. Shortening 

and butter are no longer available. Processors now use lean meat in place of skin and fat in processed 

poultry products. Schools can order lean meats, fish, and poultry items, part-skim mozzarella cheese, 

and other reduced-fat and reduced-sodium cheeses through the USDA Foods Program. To check the list 

of available USDA Foods, go to the USDA Foods Toolkit at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/foods/healthy/

Professional.htm to review the Foods Available List for Schools.

Did You Know?

 Saturated fats are solid at room temperature. 

Examples include butter (milk fat), beef fat, 

chicken fat, pork fat (lard, bacon), and stick 

margarine. The fat in milk is saturated fat, 

even though it is suspended in the milk. To 

reduce saturated fat and meet the meal pattern 

requirements, schools should serve only fat-free 

(skim) and low-fat (1%) milk.

 Eating foods high in saturated fat is 

associated with higher levels of total 

cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) 

cholesterol in the blood. Higher total and LDL 

cholesterol levels can put people at greater risk 

for heart disease. Too much LDL cholesterol can 

slowly clog the arteries supplying blood to the 

heart and brain. This increases your risk for a 

heart attack or stroke.

 Some condiments with less saturated fat

include oil-based salad dressings, low-fat 

mayonnaise, and soft (tub) margarine with no 

trans fat.

 Avoid using too many processed foods, 

especially meats including sausage, hotdogs, 

bologna, and salami - even those with “reduced 

fat” labels - they may still be high in calories, 

saturated fat, and cholesterol. Serve grilled, 

skinless chicken breast or ground turkey. 

 Avoid certain bakery products like doughnuts, 

pies, cakes, cookies, and crackers, which may 

contain saturated fat and trans fat. Have fruit for a 

sweet treat instead of baked goods.

Messages for Students

 Want a crunchy addition to your salad? Try a 

small scoop of nuts. Nuts provide healthy oils and 

are high in protein, leaving you feeling satisfied. 

 Did you eat pizza yesterday? Try something 

different today, like roasted chicken and sweet 

potatoes!

 Grab a handful of nuts and fruit for a smart 

snack.

For More Information: 

Team Nutrition (http://teamnutrition.usda.gov)

USDA Choose MyPlate (www.ChooseMyPlate.gov)

MyPlate (http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/myplate.html)

Let’s Eat for the Health of It (http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/

Resources/letseat.html)

Changing the Scene – Improving the School Nutrition 

Environment (http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/

changing.html)

USDA Recipe Finder (http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/

schoolmeals/Recipes/recipefinder.php)

Read It! Poster (http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/

read_it.html)

Trimming the Fat (http://www.nfsmi.org/documentlibraryfiles/

PDF/20120102035517.pdf)

see some more ideas on the next page . . .
 Here are some more ideas to help you choose foods lower in saturated fats for students:

Use: Instead Of:

Part-skim mozzarella or other low-fat cheeses, 

and foods containing fat-free, low-fat,

and reduced-fat cheeses

Regular, full-fat cheese and foods containing full-fat

cheese

Grilled, baked, broiled, or roasted chicken or fish Fried chicken or fried fish

Baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes French fries or fried white potatoes

Baked chips or whole-grain crackers Potato chips, tortilla chips, or corn chips

Unbreaded, grilled chicken breasts or fish filets to

make fajitas or tacos. Baked fish filets with lemon

and herbs or tomato salsa. 

Breaded meat products (such as chicken nuggets or fish

sticks) or other highly processed meat items (such as

sausage, bacon, or hot dogs)

Beans and peas without adding butter, lard,

margarine, or other sources of saturated fats

Regular ground beef and cuts of meat with marbling

or visible fat

Fruits (fresh, frozen, or canned) or foods with

whole-grain flour (or graham flour) as the first

ingredient, such as graham crackers or plain

animal crackers.

Doughnuts, pies, cookies, or cakes for dessert

Fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt, frozen fruits, or

frozen 100% fruit bars with no added sugar

Ice cream, frozen yogurt, or full-fat yogurt

Hummus (puréed garbanzo beans) or avocado Butter or stick margarine as spreads or toppings

Vegetable oils, such as canola, olive, safflower, or

corn oil; soft (tub) margarines with zero trans fats;

unsweetened apple sauce

Butter, stick margarine, or shortening

for cooking and baking

U.S. Department of Agriculture ● Food and Nutrition Service ● August 2012 ● FNS 449-G ● USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

Just the Facts: Limit Saturated Fat http://teamnutrition.usda.gov