The Facts on Fats

Long before carbs were targeted as the problem nutrient, fat was on the hit list. According to many experts, fat was to blame for our burgeoning waistlines because it contains more calories per gram than either carbs or protein (there are 9 calories per fat gram versus 4 calories per gram of carbs or protein). As a result, low-fat cookies, chips made with fake fats and fat-free spreads flooded store shelves.

Of course, we know better now: Consuming the right amount of the right kind of fats can actually protect your health and help you lose weight. Including a bit of healthy fat in your diet can keep you feeling satisfied and help your body absorb important vitamins from foods.

So, how many fat servings do you need, and which kinds are best? If you're consuming 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day, you can have five or six fat servings daily; if you're taking in 1,900 to 2,500 calories per day, you can have seven or eight. Divvying them up throughout the day will help balance your meals, keeping you satisfied for longer periods of time. A sample day would look like this:

Two at breakfast (for example, 2 tablespoons of nuts, like walnuts or almonds, or 3 teaspoons trans-fat free margarine)

Two at lunch (for example, 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise, 2/5 of a Hass avocado, or a little of both, such as a turkey sandwich spread with 1 tablespoon light mayo and 1/5 of an avocado, sliced)

Two at dinner (for example, about 1 tablespoon regular salad dressing or 2 teaspoons olive oil to saute vegetables)

What's a serving?

Now that you know how many servings you should be shooting for each day, your next task is to find out what counts as a serving. Below, you'll find a list of fats and the serving size for each. (A serving basically contains 45 calories and 5 g fat per serving). Whenever possible, opt for healthy unsaturated fat sources, and limit your intake of saturated fats marked with an asterisk (*).