I have a long list of questions I’m asked all the time but are hard to answer. Last week I was asked – for what seemed the umpteenth time – another question that I’m adding to my list:  “How much fat should I eat”?

The answer, as you may have guessed, is “it depends” – or, sometimes, the equally vague “as little as possible”.  That’s because specific recommendations for fat intake are often expressed as a percentage of calories – as in, “no more than 25% of your calories should come from fat”.  For most people, that’s not terribly useful, since it requires that they a) know how many calories they should be eating; b) multiply that number by 25% to figure out how many calories from fat they should be eating; and finally, c) divide the answer obtained in step b) by 9 – since there are 9 calories in a gram of fat – to figure out how many fat grams they should eat per day. 

 If you want to try figure all that out, it’s up to you – but I think there’s an easier way.  

Rather than focusing on a specific target and counting your daily fat grams, you can just follow these guidelines for a low fat diet instead.  If you do, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll be in the ballpark of “25% of calories from fat” – and there’s no calculator required. 

• Stay away from deep fried foods – like French fries, snack chips and crispy fried meats, fish, and veggies.  Obvious, yes, but eliminating fried foods and greasy snack foods cuts a huge amount of fat out of your diet.
• Use nutrition labels to help you find low fat packaged items like cookies, crackers, breads, muffins and cereals. 
• Use low fat versions of salad dressings, cheeses, milk, yogurt, mayonnaise, sour cream and ice cream.
• Eat more poultry breast, fish, shellfish, egg whites, nonfat dairy products and soy products for protein;  they have much less fat than steaks, ground meats and sausage. 
• Reduce the fats you use in cooking.  Saute in broth or wine instead of oil, replace part of the fat in baked goods with yogurt or applesauce, and season foods with herbs, spices, lemon, onions, garlic, chilis and other seasonings rather than relying on heavy sauces, gravies and butter.
• When you eat out, order meats, fish or poultry grilled, broiled, poached, roasted or baked.  If the starchy part of the meal is likely to be fatty, you can skip it altogether and have double vegetables instead. 
• Have fresh fruit or sorbet for dessert rather than pastries and ice cream, and ditch the snack chips in favor of raw veggies and fresh fruits. 

Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife.

7 Responses to “How Much Fat Should You Eat?”

1. Jaj Gaikwad says:

   November 27, 2012 at 10:49 am

   Can you please suggest how to reduce breast fat?
2. Discover Good Nutrition says:

   January 4, 2012 at 9:43 am

   Hi Teri-

   Thank you for your comments. We do recommend that individuals consume balanced meals that contain protein and healthy carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, etc) with small amounts of healthy fats that provide essential fatty acids and help the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble phytonutrients. One reason that a balanced meal is important is that foods high in protein, fat or carbohydrate are digested at different rates, and they differ in their ability to control hunger between meals. In our view, the percentages that you mention below are somewhat higher in fat than is necessary, and somewhat lacking in carbohydrate; we suggest fat intakes in the range of 20-25% of total calories, protein at approximately 25-30% of total calories, and the remainder from healthy carbohydrates. While a healthy meal will provide a balance of protein foods, healthy carbohydrates and small amounts of healthy fats, it is not necessary to follow these percentages at each and every meal or snack. If an individual eats a range of healthy foods and varied meals, what is important is that – over the course of the day – they stay within the suggested ranges of calories provided by protein, fat and carbohydrates.
   Please consult with your personal physician or dietitian for your specific needs.
3. Chiropractic Centre says:

   December 31, 2011 at 9:46 am

   Nice and interesting blog. i think we should follow these tips and i am going to follow these …
4. Teri says:

   December 27, 2011 at 7:52 am

   I was wondering if you’ve ever heard of a balanced meal of 30% fat, 40% carb and 30% protein? I’m studying to become an herbalist, which is what initially drew me to Herbalife, but while going through my studies, I was taught of how people to maintain good health should eat the balanced meal I mentioned above. Even if weight loss is the goal if you are not eating a balanced meal you won’t see the results you want. Say for instance you have only 1500 calories to eat for weight loss purposes, but those calories primarily contain carbs or fat then you won’t see the results anyone would hope for with eating so few calories. What are your thoughts?
5. Scott Simmons says:

   December 17, 2011 at 1:56 am

   Great article.

   People need to realise that there are healthy and unhealthy fats.

   I do love my fries though :)
6. raw diet menu says:

   November 22, 2011 at 7:07 pm

   It’s actually a great and useful piece of info. I’m glad that you shared this useful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
7. Janice says:

   October 24, 2011 at 2:49 pm

   My coach has me eating 20% fats right now and I feel so good. He cycles my fats at different levels throughout the week with a set meal plan and I now feel energized and strong where I was so tired. I think these nutrients need more conversation I enjoyed your article about it.