Saturated Fat and Food Intakes of Adults: What We Eat In America, NHANES 2017-2018

Authors: Bowman, Shanthy; Clemens, John

Submitted to: Worldwide Web Site: Food Surveys Research Group
Publication Type: Research Technical Update
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/24/2022
Publication Date: 5/31/2022
Citation: Bowman, S.A., Clemens, J.C. 2022. Saturated Fat and Food Intakes of Adults: What We Eat In America, NHANES 2017-2018. Worldwide Web Site: Food Surveys Research Group. Available: https://www.ars.usda.gov/nea/bhnrc/fsrg/wweia/dbrief.

Interpretive Summary: The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 (DGA) recommend that individuals limit their saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of daily calories. This study compares macronutrients and food pattern food groups intakes of 4,742 adults, ages 20 years and over, who meet the DGA saturated fat recommendation with that of adults who do not meet the recommendation, using What We Eat In America, NHANES 2017-2018 day 1 dietary data. Overall, one-third of adults, 20+years, met the dietary guidelines recommendation for saturated fat by consuming less than 10 percent of daily calories from saturated fat. Adults who met the recommendation had 7.4 percent and the adults who did not meet had 13.9 percent of daily calories from saturated fat. On average, those who met the recommendation consumed 236 kcal less. Adults who met the recommendation consumed more whole/intact fruit and 100% fruit juice -- 0.9 vs.0.6, and 0.3 vs. 0.2 cup equivalents, respectively. Adults who did not meet the recommendation consumed more fluid milk, cheese, meat, cured meat, and eggs; and these foods can be appreciable sources of saturated fat. There were no differences in the vegetable and grain intakes of the two groups of adults.

Technical Abstract: The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 (DGA) recommend that individuals limit their saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of daily calories. This study compares macronutrients and food pattern food groups intakes of 4,742 adults, ages 20 years and over, who meet the DGA saturated fat recommendation with that of adults who do not meet the recommendation, using What We Eat In America, NHANES 2017-2018 day 1 dietary data. Two means were considered significantly different at p-value <0.01. Thirty-four percent of adults met the DGA saturated fat recommendation. However, comparison among race/ethnicity showed only about one-fourth of non-Hispanic white met the recommendation. Adults who met the saturated fat recommendation, compared with those who did not, consumed significantly more carbohydrate (18g), and significantly less protein, total fat, and saturated fat (12g, 35g, and 18g, respectively.) Their total fruit, whole fruit, and 100% fruit juice intakes were also significantly higher, 1.1 vs. 0.7, 0.9 vs. 0.6, and 0.3 vs. 0.2 cup equivalents (eq.), respectively. Also, adults who met the recommendation consumed significantly lower amounts of fluid milk (0.5 vs. 0.7 cup eq.), cheese (0.3 vs. 1.0 cup eq.) meat (1.2 vs. 1.8 oz. eq.), cured meat (0.6 vs. 1.1 oz. eq.), and eggs (0.5 vs. 0.7 oz. eq.). There were no significant differences in the vegetable and grain intakes of the two groups of adults.