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: