What is fat?

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What is fat?

Fat is a concentrated source of calories for the body. Fat helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins and provides energy stores.

How is fat listed on the food label?

Nutrition experts recommend diets that contain 30 per cent or less of calories from total fat. The percentage daily value for fat on the nutrition label is based on 65 grams. This number comes from a 2,000 calorie reference diet that has 30 per cent of calories from fat. It is rounded for labeling.

“Calories from fat” is also listed on the nutrition label. This is the number of calories that are supplied by fat in a serving of food. This number is obtained by multiplying the grams of fat by 9 calories per gram. It may be rounded for labeling.

What is the recommended amount of fat to eat?

Your daily fat needs depend on the number of calories you eat. The “30 per cent of calories from fat” goal applies to a total diet over time, not to a single food or meal.

Why worry about fat?

Eating a diet higher in fat than recommended, especially saturated fat, is associated with increased blood cholesterols in some adults. A high blood cholesterol level is associated with increased risk for heart disease. A high fat diet may also increase your chances for obesity and some types of cancer.

Updated August 22, 2017 7:10pm