Sources of Fat

Fat, in its various forms, is a component of many foods.

There are some obvious sources of fat which are shown in the table below.

Beans, legumes, and whole grain products contain small amounts of fatty acids.  

Vegetables and fruits do not contain significant amounts of fatty acids. Nuts and seeds contain significant amounts of fat.

Recommendations for dietary fat consumption are 20-35 % of total caloric intake.

Keep saturated and trans fats to a minimum, and make sure you consume sufficient omega-3 fatty acids.

To learn more about how much fat is a healthy amount of fat click here.

Fat	RDA	Type	Major source
Unsaturated Oils		Mono unsaturated fatty acids	Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, avocado, olives, some margarines, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains
		Poly unsaturated fatty acids	Safflower, sesame, soy, corn, sunflower oil, some margarines, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains
Omega-3 fatty acid	Men 1.6g Women 1.1g	EPA and DHA	Oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines)
		Linolenic acid	Walnuts, flaxseed, canola, soybean and flax oils, wheat germ
Omega-6 fatty acid	Men 17g Women 12g	Linoleic acid	Corn, sunflower, safflower, soybean oils, poultry fat
		Arachidonic acid	Meats, poultry, eggs
Saturated fats	< 10% of total caloric intake		Whole milk, cream, butter, cream cheese, cheese, fatty beef/pork, coconut, palm and palm kernel oils, many processed foods
Trans fat	< 2 g /day		Deep fried foods, vegetable shortening, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, pastry, crackers, chips, some margarines, imitation cheese, meat and dairy products
Cholesterol	< 300mg		Eggs, dairy products, meat, poultry and shellfish.