Food Library
Oils, butter, ghee and the other fats here carry no carbohydrate, or next to none, so this is mostly not a blood-sugar category. What they do carry is energy, 9 kcal in every gram of fat by the NHS's figure, and, in butter, ghee, coconut oil and palm oil, a lot of saturated fat. So this guide is short. It covers which fats the NHS suggests swapping to, how much saturated fat each one carries, what fat in a meal does and doesn't do to its carbohydrate, and the two pregnancy points in this group: unpasteurised butters and cod liver oil. Oils and butters each have a page of their own, and every food is listed further down.
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39 foodsLast reviewed: September 11, 2026Sources
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About 14 g of saturated fat per 100 g; one of the monounsaturated oils the NHS suggests.
The least saturated fat of the oils here, about 7 g per 100 g.
About 10 g of saturated fat per 100 g.
About 51 g of saturated fat per 100 g; the NHS names butter among the high ones.
The most saturated fat of the everyday fats here, about 82 g per 100 g.
Here for its rule: only if it is made from pasteurised milk.
The everyday cooking oils, butter, and coconut oil as the high end for saturated fat, plus one butter for its pasteurisation rule. Figures are per 100 g.
The NHS names butter, ghee, lard, palm oil, coconut oil and coconut cream as high in saturated fat, and says women should have no more than 20 g of it a day. USDA lists butter at about 51 g of saturated fat per 100 g, ghee at 62 g and coconut oil at 82 g, against about 14 g for olive oil and 7 g for rapeseed oil.[1] [2]
The NHS suggests unsaturated fats in place of saturated ones: olive and rapeseed oil for monounsaturated fat, and rapeseed, corn and sunflower oil for omega-6. On a food label, more than 5 g of saturated fat per 100 g counts as high.[1]
A gram of fat provides 9 kcal, against 4 kcal for a gram of carbohydrate or protein, according to the NHS. That is why every oil in this library carries about 830 to 900 kcal per 100 g, and why 10 g of oil adds about 88 kcal to a dish.[1]
Diabetes UK notes that protein, fat and fibre can change a food's GI because they slow the digestion and absorption of carbohydrate. The carbohydrate in the meal is still there, and Diabetes UK adds that the amount of carbohydrate has a bigger effect on blood sugar than GI does. Its advice is written for diabetes generally, not for pregnancy.[3]
The NHS lists pasteurised butter as safe in pregnancy and unpasteurised butter among the foods to avoid, which is why the camel-milk and yak butters here are marked for pasteurised versions only. It also says not to take cod liver oil or supplements containing vitamin A (retinol) in pregnancy, because too much vitamin A can harm the baby's development. There is no cod liver oil in this library.[4] [5]
| Food | Fat | Saturated fat | Calories | Blood sugar impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coconut Oil | 100 g | 82.5 g | 892 kcal | low |
| Ghee | 99.8 g | 62.5 g | 899 kcal | low |
| Unsalted Butter | 81.1 g | 51.4 g | 717 kcal | low |
| Palm Oil | 100 g | 49.3 g | 884 kcal | low |
| Olive Oil | 100 g | 13.8 g | 884 kcal | low |
| Canola Oil | 100 g | 7.4 g | 884 kcal | low |
Coconut oil carries the most saturated fat here and rapeseed (canola) oil the least.
| Food | Saturated fat | Calories | Blood sugar impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canola Oil | 7.4 g | 884 kcal | low |
| Sunflower Oil | 10.3 g | 884 kcal | low |
| Avocado Oil | 11.6 g | 884 kcal | low |
| Olive Oil | 13.8 g | 884 kcal | low |
| Sesame Oil | 14.2 g | 884 kcal | low |
| Peanut Oil | 17 g | 884 kcal | low |
All carry about 884 kcal per 100 g; rapeseed oil carries the least saturated fat.
| Food | Fat | Saturated fat | Sodium | Blood sugar impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salted Butter | 81.1 g | 51.4 g | 643 mg | low |
| Unsalted Butter | 81.1 g | 51.4 g | 11 mg | low |
| Vegetable-based Butter (Margarine) | 81 g | 23 g | 640 mg | low |
| Coconut Butter | 64.5 g | 57.2 g | 37 mg | low |
| Avocado Butter | 70.5 g | 15.2 g | 10 mg | low |
Salted butter carries about 640 mg of sodium per 100 g, unsalted butter 11 mg; the vegetable spread carries less than half of butter's saturated fat.
Figures from each food's entry in this library. Open a food for its full profile and portion notes.
39 foods in this category, each rated for glycemic impact and blood sugar effect.
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Start Free Trial →Oils and butter carry no carbohydrate, so they add none to a meal. Diabetes UK notes that fat can slow the digestion of the carbohydrate eaten with it, but the carbohydrate itself is unchanged, and the amount matters more than GI.[3]
The NHS lists coconut oil among the foods high in saturated fat. By USDA's figures it carries about 82 g of saturated fat per 100 g, against about 14 g for olive oil and 7 g for rapeseed oil.[1] [2]
No. The NHS says not to take cod liver oil or supplements containing vitamin A (retinol) in pregnancy, because too much vitamin A can harm the baby's development. Check the label of any supplement.[5]
Every pregnancy is different, and gestational diabetes is managed differently depending on your readings, your medication and how far along you are. The ratings and portions on this page are general information — not a diagnosis, a treatment plan or a medical device — and they cannot see your results.
Contact your care team the same day if: your readings stay above target for several days; you have a reading below 54 mg/dL (3.0 mmol/L) or needed someone else's help to treat a low; you test positive for ketones; or your baby is moving less than usual. Seek emergency care for confusion, fainting, repeated vomiting, or a low you cannot bring back up.
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Compiled and reviewed by Dalo Labs ApS. Numbered references in the text point to the sources below. Not endorsed by or affiliated with any referenced organization. · Last reviewed: September 11, 2026
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