The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults get 20 to 35 percent of calories from fat. Your body needs dietary fat to absorb vitamins as well as to cushion and protect joints and vital organs. The type of fats you consume makes a difference. Saturated and trans fats are detrimental to heart health. The American Heart Association recommends that you limit saturated fat to 7 percent of total calories and that you exclude manufactured trans fats from your diet. Opt instead for healthier polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat sources such as fish, nuts and vegetables oils.
Step 1
Read labels for nutritional information. Most packaged foods are required to carry nutritional labels, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Note the serving size, the calories per serving and the total fat grams per serving. Monitoring portion intake is key to calculating both calories consumed and fat percentages.
Step 2
Consult nutritional facts provided by the FDA for foods not requiring a nutritional label. Labels for seafood and fresh produce are provided by distributors on a voluntary basis. The FDA makes nutritional information for these foods available online. The nutritional facts list calories and fat grams per portion along with other nutrient breakdowns.
Step 3
Write down the total calories and fat grams from a food based on serving size or amount consumed. Fat contains 9 calories per gram, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To calculate calories from fat, multiply the number of grams in your portion size by 9. For example, a food containing 5 grams of fat per serving provides 45 calories from fat.
Step 4
Divide the number of fat calories by the number of total calories, based on portion size. For example, a food that contains 125 total calories and 45 fat calories provides 36 percent of calories from fat. To meet dietary recommendations, your total percentage of calories from fat needs to be no more than 35 percent for the day. Balancing your consumption of higher fat foods with low-fat foods throughout the day can help you limit your fat intake and get the nutrients you need from your diet.
Tips and Warnings
- The Tufts University School of Medicine reports that the recommended intake of omega-3 fatty acids is 7 to 11 g per week. Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that lower triglyceride levels, help prevent heart disease and may help sharpen memory and improve mood. The best sources of these healthy fats are cold water fish, but you can also get them from nuts and seeds such as almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, pecans and pumpkin seeds. Soybeans, soybean oil and canola oil also provide omega-3 fatty acids. To limit your consumption of foods containing saturated fats, avoid full-fat milk and fatty meats and aim for one to two servings of lean protein daily.
- The FDA requires that food labels list trans fats. Trans fats are the result of adding hydrogen to vegetable oil to give them a more solid composition. The American Heart Association cautions against consuming trans fats, reporting that these manufactured fats can raise your bad cholesterol level, decrease your good cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
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