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Fat and Oil Guidelines
In the 1990s, many Americans were fat-phobic. Fat was deemed bad for health, and as a result, many people -- particularly dieters -- went overboard trying to exclude all fat from their diets. However, the human body needs fat, especially certain types of it. Therefore we should enjoy modest amounts of health-promoting fats and limit the less healthy fats.The problem is, many foods we've grown accustomed to eating contain high amounts of fat and often the wrong kind of fat. Eating too much fat overall makes it difficult to stay within your calorie budget, and eating too much of the wrong kind of fat can spell trouble for your arteries.
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The USDA Dietary Guidelines' food patterns are designed to provide about 20 to 35 percent of your calories from fat. Chosen wisely, this will give your body the nutrients it needs from fat while not exceeding your calorie goals. The USDA Dietary Guidelines separate fats into two different
categories -- oils and solid fats. Oils are considered an essential part of your food pattern because they supply vitamin E and
essential fats needed for good health. These are the ones indicated by the thin yellow band on MyPyramid. (In the USDA Dietary Guidelines, oils also include soft margarines with no trans fats.)
Solid fats, which include animal fats, stick margarine, and shortening, are not essential in your diet because they are high in saturated fat and/or trans fat and low in vitamin E. Solid fats can be harmful to your health, so they are limited in the discretionary calorie category and symbolized by the narrowing of each food group's colored band as it reaches the tip of MyPyramid. In terms of nutrition, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are also considered to be solid fats. Choose foods with solid fats less often and in small amounts.
How Much Fat and Oil Should Be In My Diet?
Since fats pack 9 calories per gram (compared to 4 calories per gram in carbohydrate and protein), moderation is important. The healthiest oils, such as canola, flaxseed, and the oil in walnuts and fish such as salmon and tuna, can be eaten in amounts equal to about 1.5 to 3 grams per day for a 2,000-calorie diet. The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend eating a 4-ounce serving of fatty fish twice a week to get these essential oils. Other healthy oils, such as olive oil and other vegetable oils, can make up the balance of your oils allowance. Solid fats pack the same number of calories but aren't healthy and should be avoided or eaten in much smaller amounts, as indicated in the following table.
| Calorie Level | 1,600 | 1,800 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Oils | 22 grams (5 1/2 tsp) | 24 g (6 tsp) | 27 g (6 3/4 tsp) | 29 g (7 1/4 tsp) |
| Solid Fats, example | 11 grams (2 3/4 tsp) | 15 g (3 3/4 tsp) | 18 g (4 1/2 tsp) | 19 g (4 3/4 tsp) |
Benefits of Fats and Oils
All oils and fats contain a mixture of different types of fats: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated. Most of the fats you eat should be monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Moderate amounts of these oils will enhance the flavor of many foods and increase satiety -- the feeling of fullness and satisfaction that keeps you from rummaging through the cupboards between meals.
Saturated fat and trans fats are linked to elevated cholesterol levels. Your body takes these solid fats and turns them into cholesterol, which clogs your arteries and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Because of this danger, the USDA Dietary Guidelines puts specific limitations on these fats. Saturated fat should contribute no more than 10 percent of your total calorie intake. Trans fat should be kept as low as possible. As you make an effort to decrease saturated and trans fats, you will automatically decrease your total fat intake -- and eat fewer calories! Your body only marginally uses food cholesterol to make blood cholesterol. However, the USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend not exceeding 300 milligrams per day of dietary cholesterol.
Best Bites for Weight Loss
These are the best choices for staying on track for losing weight:
- Choose low-fat, reduced-fat, and light products most often.
- Choose light margarines, which typically have half the fat and half the calories of regular margarine. Select those that state "0 grams trans fatty acids per serving" on the label.
- Try margarine sprays for topping vegetables with buttery flavor and few calories.
- Choose lean meats and poultry whenever possible.
- Eat smaller amounts of high-fat foods -- make two portions out of one.
- Use low-fat cooking methods, such as baking, broiling, steaming, microwaving, roasting, braising. Limit the amount of fried foods you eat.
- Modify recipes to use less fat or lower-fat ingredients.
Compare labels of similar products to make the lowest-fat choice. Watch out for added sugar and salt, though. Sometimes when fat is removed, manufacturers add extra sugar or salt to make up for the lost flavor. The product may end up with more calories than the full-fat version. Choose lean meats, reduced-fat cheeses, nonfat dairy products, and packaged foods that are "light" or "reduced calorie."
Saturated Fats |
Make low-fat selections when eating or buying snack foods. Get baked chips, and reduced-fat crackers, cookies, and ice cream. Eat modest amounts of them. Eat half-portions of high-fat food. Share with a friend, save for later, or discard
the other half. Better to toss it than eat it if it's more than you need.
Setting Fat and Oil Goals
Some people choose to focus on eating less saturated fat. That not only protects their heart but automatically gives them fewer calories! Make your goal effective. Try these:
- I will compare the labels of three different products when I grocery shop this week and choose the lowest in saturated fat. I intend to compare the saturated fat of cheese, crackers, and lunch meat.
- I will bake or grill my chicken and fish this week instead of frying them.
In the next section, we'll turn our attention to dairy products, and learn how to get their vitamins and minerals while cutting down on the fat.
This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.
