How much saturated fat can I have in a day?

Limit saturated fat to less than 10% of your daily calories.

Less than 10% of your daily calories should come from saturated fat.

Example:

If you eat 1800 calories a day, less than 180 calories should come from saturated fat.

Here’s the math:

1800 calories x 10% (0.10) = 180 calories

There are 9 calories in one gram of fat. Therefore, the above recommendation is equivalent to less than 20 grams of saturated fat.

• 180 calories of saturated fat ÷ 9 calories per gram = 20 grams
  of saturated fat

Saturated fat limits based on various calorie levels:

• If you eat 1200 calories a day, less than 120 calories (13 grams) should come from saturated fat.
• If you eat 1400 calories a day, less than 140 calories (16 grams) should come from saturated fat.
• If you eat 1600 calories a day, less than 160 calories (18 grams) should come from saturated fat.
• If you eat 1800 calories a day, less than 180 calories (20 grams) should come from saturated fat.
• If you eat 2000 calories a day, less than 200 calories (22 grams) should come from saturated fat.

Too much saturated fat can increase your cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease. Reading food labels and cutting back on the most common sources of saturated fat can help you meet the above recommendations.

Be aware that a company can claim ’0 grams of saturated fat’ if a product has less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat per serving.

Source:
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and United States Department of Agriculture