How much fat do you need per day?

For many years, we’ve been advised by the Government to avoid saturated fat with millions of us switching to low-fat diets.¹ But now it seems shoppers are embracing fat again: in 2017, sales of whole milk rose by around 4%, while skimmed milk sales dropped by a similar amount.² So is that a good thing?

We need fats: they provide energy, and because they take longer for our bodies to process, they keep us feeling fuller for longer. Fats are important for building our cell membranes and help us absorb ‘fat-soluble’ vitamins A, D, E, and K.³ They’re also a source of essential fatty acids, which our bodies can’t make but are needed for brain, heart and immune health.⁴ 

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Firstly, you’d miss out on those important fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids. And because fat helps blunt carbohydrate’s blood-sugar raising effects, you could experience a rollercoaster of blood sugar highs and lows.⁵ Not eating enough fat can also lead to overeating – healthy fats work with your cells’ satiety hormone, cholecystokinin, to let you know when you’re full.⁶

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However, it’s still important to eat fats in moderation, as they are very high in calories, at nine calories per gram, compared to four calories per gram for protein and carbohydrates.⁷ The Department of Health advises we aim for fat to make up less than 35% of your daily food intake – or around 70g a fat per day.⁸ Here’s the fat content of some popular foods: ^{9,10,11,12,13}

•  a tablespoon of olive oil – 13.5g 
• a tablespoon of butter – 11g 
• half an avocado – 15g 
• 10 almonds – 5g 28g (1oz) 
• Cheddar cheese – 9.3g 

Aim to eat mostly unsaturated fat, with no more than 20g a day of saturated fat.¹⁴

Polyunsaturated fats, found in nuts, seeds, sunflower and sesame oils¹⁵ Monounsaturated fats, for example in olive and rapeseed oils, nuts, seeds and avocado¹⁶ Omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are in oily fish like mackerel, salmon and sardines, plus rapeseed, soya, flax, linseed oils, pecans and walnuts¹⁷