Even though vegetarians eliminate meat and fish from the menu, they can still fall into the nutritional “trap” from processed foods, causing cholesterol to rise.
Many vegetarians are surprised to see that blood cholesterol levels are still at alarming levels. Even though they do not consume animal foods, they can still make mistakes in their daily food choices.
Nutrition expert Ta Nghi Phuong (China) said that even though vegetarians eliminate meat and fish from the menu, they can still fall into the nutritional “trap” of processed foods.
She warns that vegetarians should avoid three food groups high in saturated fat: vegetarian instant noodles, crackers and sweet breads.
In a post shared on her personal page, Ms. Ta Nghi Phuong cited the 2026 US dietary guidelines that recommend limiting saturated fat to less than 10% of total daily calories. Most studies show that saturated fat is the real “culprit” that causes abnormal cholesterol indexes.
Why do vegetarians eat a lot of saturated fat?
According to expert Ta Nghi Phuong, if you look carefully at the daily menu, you can see that many vegetarian dishes with “crispy, spongy, fragrant” characteristics on the market are potentially dangerous. Don’t mistakenly think labeling “vegetarian” is safe. In order for dishes made from wheat flour to achieve a crispy texture and attractive aroma, manufacturers must use a large amount of oil, especially saturated fats.
In addition, cakes such as pineapple cakes and butter cookies often use animal or vegetable butter to create a crispy texture. Accidentally consuming these foods is what causes cholesterol to skyrocket.
Croissants usually contain 5-8 g of saturated fat/piece. Image: Katherine Foster
3 “black holes” of saturated fat for vegetarians
What is the saturated fat limit for a person? The simplest way to estimate is based on total calorie intake:
Below are 3 food groups that vegetarians often “fall into”:
Vegetarian instant noodles
Many types of vegetarian noodles (with fried noodles and seasoning oil packets) contain 8-13 g of saturated fat.
You should choose noodles that are not fried, need to be cooked instead of just poured with boiling water, or carefully check the nutrition label to choose varieties that are low in saturated fat and do not contain palm oil.
Crackers/Soda biscuits
Although there are differences between brands, typically a package of cookies can contain anywhere from 8-25 g of saturated fat.
Compared to the limit, cookies can account for from 40% to 148% of the allowed amount.
Many people mistakenly think that cookies are a good weight loss food, but in reality they often “accidentally” eat half a package or the whole package, leading to more fat and increased blood fat.
Bread, croissants, cream pies
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Croissant/Puff pastry: Usually contains 5-8 g of saturated fat/piece.
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Cake filled with cheese or fresh cream: Usually contains 8-13 g/piece.
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Honey Bread/Buttermilk Rolls: Usually contain 8-17 g/piece (large ones are even higher).
Consumers often think “eating bread is vegetarian”, but in reality what they eat is butter, shortening, sugar and fatty fillings.
Small changes to protect your health
Expert Ta Nghi Phuong reminded that high blood fat in vegetarians is often not the fault of vegetarianism, but due to processed vegetarian foods and baked goods performing the task of “pushing” the amount of saturated fat to excess.
In the US’s 2026 Dietary Guidelines, ultra-processed foods have been included in the “no-go zone”. Instead, people are encouraged to use whole foods. If you want to regain your health, try replacing cookies with fruit, and replace the habit of eating bread with sweet potatoes.
With just small changes in your lifestyle, you can significantly cut down on the amount of saturated fat you eat.