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Recommended fat intake per day
Proper fat intake is essential for the body to function optimally. The cell membranes are made of fat, and for hormonal regulation, it is crucial to have sufficient fat composition inside the body. However, consuming too much fat also increases calorie intake and affects the body in multiple ways. Knowing the recommended daily fat intake based on the activity level is important for a healthy working body to feed your body the right fatty intake.
We have made calculating fat intake easier with the daily fat intake calculator to prevent you from munching on unnecessary fat consumption.
Fat Intake Calculator
We have designed our user-friendly fat intake calculator that provides results based on height, age, gender, weight goals, and activity level. It is important to know that the fat intake differs for individuals with different activity levels. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, your daily fat intake will differ from those with light, moderate, or high activity levels. Based on the results, you can easily estimate how many grams of fat your body needs daily to maintain a healthy diet.
Your fat intake gives you a precise percentage of your calorie intake through dietary means. Using the fat intake calculator helps you analyze your calorie needs and the energy expenditure required to perform daily activities.
How to Use the Daily Fat Intake Calculator?
Since calorie intake differs based on an individual’s attributes and weight goals, you must input certain measurements in the fats calculator to estimate the results.
To use the calculator, you have to:
- Select your preferred unit of measurement.
- Enter your age.
- Enter your gender.
- Enter your height.
- Enter your weight.
- Set your weight goals.
- Select your activity level among sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, very active, and extra active.
- Press Calculate.
You will see the number of calories required daily for the body to function healthily. Based on your goals, the fat intake calculator will also exhibit the daily fat allowance, recommended saturated fat allowance, and saturated fat intake to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
The fat intake calculator uses the Mifflin-St Joer equations to estimate the daily caloric needs to assess the fat intake further. Since men and women have different calorie consumption, the formula is different for both.
- For Male: BMR = 10 x Weight [kg] + 6.25 x Height [cm] – 5 x Age[years] – 161
- For Female: BMR = 10 x Weight [kg] + 6.25 x Height [cm] – 5 x Age [years] + 5
Based on your BMR, the calculator will demonstrate fat intake as minimum, maximum, and moderate grams of fats.
What are Fats?
While thinking of fats, we generally perceive a bulge resulting from excessive calorie intake, looks unsightly, and triggers several health complications. Although fats have negative notions attached to them, this is not the right way to define body fat.
Our organ system requires fat intake just like other macronutrients, including carbohydrates and protein. We cannot emphasize how body fats are crucial to providing our body with the right energy intake. To participate in daily activities, we require the ideal fat intake, which is possible through dietary resources that are enriched with fats. To your surprise, 1 gram of fat contains 9 kcal, double the energy provided by protein and carbohydrates. The body fats are also a primary resource to provide enough fatty acids to the body and to regulate the cell’s water content.
Types of Fat
There are several types of fats that we consume through diet. Fat intake is essential in each of its types, but the problem arises when you over-take the recommended fat dosage, and your metabolic system starts affecting negatively.
There are three main types of fats including:
Unsaturated Fat
Unsaturated fat comprises monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat, which are essential for their healthy properties. Plant-based oils and food are great sources of these fats, and when consumed in controlled amounts, they help reduce the risk of heart diseases and lower the LDL cholesterol level in the blood. Olives, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and avocados are primary sources of consuming healthy unsaturated fat.
Saturated Fat
The body naturally produces Saturated Fat, and you don’t have to consume it unnecessarily from other resources. Once the amount of saturated fat increases in the body more than required, it elevates the LDL cholesterol level and cardiovascular diseases. Saturated fat is primarily found in poultry, dairy products, full-fat cheese, and palm oil, and you should not intake more than 10% of calories from these unsaturated fat resources.
Trans Fat
Trans Fat is produced due to food processing or partial hydrogenation and has a drastic impression on the health. The consumption of trans fat is associated with increasing cholesterol levels and is regarded as a havoc-causing dietary fat. The intake of trans fat results in obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart diseases, so it is better to avoid the cravings of trans fat to save yourself from any severe health conditions. Some main sources of trans fat are fried food, frozen pizza, commercial baked goods, margarine, coffee creamer, and refrigerated biscuits.
How Much Daily Fat Intake is Healthy?
Since every person has a different physique and different levels of physical activity, there is not a specified amount of fat intake that fulfills the energy expenditure of every individual. While saturated fat harms health, unsaturated fat is essential to provide body with the right amount of good cholesterol.
The table below will help you understand the daily fat intake of different age groups.
Age | Daily fat intake |
| 2 to 3 years old | 30-40% of total calories |
| 4 to 18 years old | 25-35% of total calories |
| 18 years old + | 20-35% of total calories |
While children need more fat in their diet at a growing age, the fat intake amount is less for adults. However, exceeding the amount of dietary fat by a specified limit is not a healthy solution. Do not consume more than 10% calories from saturated fats, and try to replace unhealthy saturated fats with healthy unsaturated dietary fats. Take a deep analysis of your dietary cholesterol and limit your cholesterol intake to 300 mg.
Effects of Dietary Fat Deficiency
Dietary fat is important to consume, just like other macronutrients. In fact, the energy supply that the body gets from fats is more than other resources, so any deficiency in dietary fat intake results in an insufficient energy supply. Not only do fats function as energy reservoirs, but the deficit of enough fats intake may lead to the following conditions:
- Hormonal imbalance, especially during the menstruation cycle
- The constant feeling of cold
- Dry skin and itchy scalp followed by hair loss
- Always feeling hungry
- Not feeling physically active and constantly feeling lethargic
- Inability to concentrate
Bottom Line
Fat intake is important for the body’s functioning, so you should not think of cutting it down from your diet, or else your metabolism will be affected. However, when trying to lose weight, it is advised that you restrict the quantity of fat in your diet. With the help of our calculating fat intake tool, you can calculate the recommended daily intake of fat at various levels of fat’s contribution to total daily energy. Suppose you want to follow a dietary plan so your fat intake does not cross a healthy level. In that case, it is always best to speak with a nutritionist or doctor who is knowledgeable about your overall health and medical background.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much fat should I consume per day?
To gain healthy weight and to maintain the body’s fitness level, it is important to intake 20 to 35% of daily calories from the consumed fat. In a diet that comprises 2000 calories, your body gets 45 to 78 grams of fat. You may adjust your calorie intake by changing your diet based on your healthy goals and fitness level.
What is the healthy form of fat intake?
Unsaturated fats, either polyunsaturated fats or monounsaturated fats, are essential for the body’s healthy functioning. These fats are helpful in controlling LDL cholesterol levels, promote good HDL cholesterol, and suppress the need to consume trans fats.
How can I calculate the number of calories from fat intake?
Following the formula below, you can convert the grams of fat into the number of calories.
1 g = 9 kcal
If you are consuming 10 grams of fat,
10 g x 9 kcal/g = 90 kcal
So, your portion of 10 grams of fats contains 90 calories.
Which food contains healthy fats?
Healthy fats are found in avocados, seeds, fatty fish, nuts, olive oil, peanut oil, tofu, and soybeans.
A fervent champion for holistic well-being, graces this community with her expertise in health and fitness. With a solid educational foundation in physical fitness and a commitment to empowering others, Sara distills her extensive knowledge and experience into actionable insights. Her writing, firmly grounded in evidence-based practices, aims to demystify health complexities and inspire readers to cultivate sustainable habits for a balanced life. As a certified fitness trainer, Sara offers a well-rounded perspective on wellness. Join Sara on this transformative journey towards a happier, healthier, and more vibrant you.
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