Healthy eating powers your body to perform daily tasks as well as helps keep your organs running smoothly. Your body converts calories from the foods you eat into energy, and unused calories may be stored as fat in your body. Calories come in carbohydrate, protein and fat form, and within the fat category are unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are a form of unsaturated fat that your body can use for energy or store for energy when you need it.
Monounsaturated fats have one double-bonded carbon in the molecule, in contract with polyunsaturated fats, which have multiple double-bonded carbons. Monounsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature and are found in a variety of vegetable oils. Monounsaturated fats come mainly from plant sources. Foods with monounsaturated fats include olive oil, avocados, peanut oil, canola oil, soy beans, sesame oil, sunflower oil, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, tofu, peanut butter, soy milk, poultry, pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds.
Calories and Fat
As with other fats, monounsaturated fat contains 9 calories per gram. Protein and carbohydrates have less calories per gram, with each containing 4 calories per gram. Fat's high calorie content has made some people shy away from eating fat, but for a healthy diet, adults should consume about 25 to 30 percent of daily calories as fat, advises the Institute of Medicine's Dietery Reference Intakes. Unsaturated fats such as monounsaturated fat can help keep you healthy, according to the Mayo Clinic. Monounsaturated fats lower your cholesterol and counteract the effects of "bad" fats such as trans fats and saturated fat, which can clog your arteries and lead to heart problems.
Monounsaturated Fat for Energy
Your body can use fat for energy when you exercise, and it also uses fat to maintain cell functions. Some vitamins need fat in order to dissolve in your body. Monounsaturated fat -- as well as other forms of fat -- are also used for energy stores in your body. During exercise, fat offers a slow-burning type of fuel for your body. Once your body depletes carb sources of energy, it turns to fat-burning. Your body burns mainly carbohydrates for quick energy during high-intensity exercises and anaerobic activities such as sprinting. Fat is still needed during anaerobic activities to help access your body's stored carbohydrates, or glycogen. Fat is your body's main energy source for endurance and low-to-medium-intensity exercise. Your body relies on fat for energy for activities such as long-distance running, walking or cycling.
Burning Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fats, as with other fats, offer long-term energy and cannot be accessed quickly for exercise. If you eat an avocado before a run, for instance, your body will not be able to process the energy from the avocado within the first few hours of eating it. Monounsaturated fats that you consume and do not burn off will be stored as fat in your body. During endurance events, your body will be able to access your fat stores for energy.
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