What is it?It is a collection of fatty acids that in various combinations create cholesterol, trans fat, saturated fat or unsaturated fat. Examples of fatty foods are oils, butters, nuts and fish.1 gram of fat gives 9 calories. Fat chains differ from type to type and Lifesum uses the average number, with the recommendation at about 1/3 of the total calorie intake. On the standard diet that is 35 E% and for a person eating 2000 calories it is 75-80 grams of fat each day. Why do we need it?Fat gives the body energy and is stored in the fat stores as a reserve energy. It works as a heat insulator and protects the organs in the body. The body needs it to repair and produce hormones for the uptake of vitamins A, D, E and K; the fat-soluble vitamins. Some of the fatty acids are essential and can’t be created in the body, so they need to be added through food. Two examples of these are a-linolenic acid (omega-3) and linoleic acid (omega-6). What if I have too much?As with other nutrients, if you over consume fat and eat more than the recommendation, the risk for weight-gain is high. The body doesn’t have to alter the fat you eat in order to store it, which means it has a low energy cost and can easily be added to fat stores. Foods to eat more of (these contain a lot of healthy fat):
- coconut
- coconut milk
- nuts (Brazil, Macadamia, Pecan, Walnuts, Hazelnuts)
- oils (rapeseed, walnut, olive, soy bean, sesame seed)
- fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna ex.)
- olives
- avocado
Foods to eat in moderation:
- cream
- cream cheese
- cheese (Blue, Cheddar, Roquefort, Muenster, Brie)
- mayonnaise
- peanut butter
- vinaigrette
- butters
- meat
Foods that contains fat you should eat less of:
- milk chocolate
- dark chocolate
- ribs
- margarine
- sausages
- crackers
- granola bars
- bacon
- croissants
- fried foods (french fries, potato chips/ crisps, nuggets, patties ex.)
- pies
- lunch meats
- ham & cheese rolls
To get the daily amount of fat for one day you can have (all suggestions combined for one day’s meals)*; – 1 slice of dark bread, cream cheese and smoked salmon for breakfast- 1 serving of mixed salad, mackerel and vinaigrette for lunch- ½ avocado sprinkled with sea salt as a snack *Calculated for a person eating 2000 calories a day.To read more about fat and see what we base our recommendations on, read more here: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/InteractiveNutritionFactsLabel/factsheets/Monounsaturated_and_Polyunsaturated_Fat.pdfhttps://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/InteractiveNutritionFactsLabel/factsheets/Saturated_Fat.pdf https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/-05/2015-_Dietary_Guidelines.pdf https://www.nap.edu/read/10490/chapter/10
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Lifesum GUIDE