The American Heart Association recommends aiming for a dietary pattern that achieves less than 6% of total calories from saturated fat. For example, if you need about 2,000 calories a day, no more than 120 of them should come from saturated fat. That's about 13 grams or less of saturated fat per day.
13 grams of fats contain 117 calories.
So if you're following a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, your target range for total fat is 44 to 78 grams a day. Of that, saturated fat should make up no more than 22 grams. To monitor the fat in your diet, simply add up the fat grams from the foods you ate during the day.
men should have less than 30g of saturated fat per day. women should have less than 20g of saturated fat per day. men and women should have less than 5g of trans fat per day. children should have less trans fat and saturated fat per day than adults.
In general, the total body fat percentage (essential plus storage fat) is between 12% and 15% for young men and between 25% and 28% for young women {Lohman, 1993 #4151} (see also table 13.1). Average percentages body fat for the general population and for various athletes are presented in table 13.2.
The American Heart Association recommends aiming for a dietary pattern that achieves less than 6% of total calories from saturated fat. For example, if you need about 2,000 calories a day, no more than 120 of them should come from saturated fat. That's about 13 grams or less of saturated fat per day.
Common body fat percentage ranges among women at different levels of fitness are as follows: Essential fat: 10–13% Athletes: 14–20% Fitness enthusiasts: 21–24%
Peanut butter does contain plenty of heart-healthy unsaturated fatty acids, per the USDA. “Peanuts and peanut butter is rich in oleic acid, a type of omega-9 fatty acid which helps lower LDL or bad cholesterol,” says Largeman-Roth.
Breads, Cereals and Grains
Choose whole-grain breads, cereals, pastas and rice. Avoid high-fat snack foods, such as granola, cookies, pies, pastries, doughnuts and croissants.
A whole medium avocado contains about 240 calories, 13 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams protein, 22 grams fat (15 grams monounsaturated, 4 grams polyunsaturated, 3 grams saturated), 10 grams fiber, and 11 milligrams sodium. Along with their low sodium levels, avocados contain no cholesterol.
So, if you're eating a lot of fat, such as in the keto or Adkins' diets, you will be burning a lot of fat. Insulin will be low, because carbohydrate intake is low, so that allows for more fat oxidation (burning). However, you're also going to be storing more fat if you are not in a caloric maintenance or deficit.
For most people, neither a high- or low-fat diet is recommended for health. Getting 20–35% of your calories from fat—45-78 grams on a 2,000-calorie diet—is considered best for health. However, this amount may vary based on your health needs.
This paper reviews the evidence linking saturated fats and sugars to CHD, and concludes that the latter is more of a problem than the former. Dietary guidelines should shift focus away from reducing saturated fat, and from replacing saturated fat with carbohydrates, specifically when these carbohydrates are refined.
"Eating refined carbs like bread, rice, pasta and cookies [in excess] will increase our belly fat. If we want to lose it, we should focus on eating nutrient- and fiber-rich carbs such as vegetables and low-glycemic fruits," says Djordjevic.
Regular mayo has just 1 to 2 grams per tablespoon — about the same of what you get in a tablespoon of olive oil. And with just 5 to 10 milligrams of cholesterol per serving, it's far below the recommended upper limit of 200 to 300 milligrams of cholesterol. But remember not to lay on your love for mayonnaise too thick!
Eggs contain an average of 10.3 grams of total fat per serve of eggs* making them a moderate source of dietary fat. The majority of the fat in eggs is unsaturated with 3.4 grams being saturated fat.
While most of the fat in peanut butter is relatively healthy, peanuts also contain some saturated fat, which can lead to heart problems when consumed in excess over time. Peanuts are high in phosphorus, which can limit your body's absorption of other minerals like zinc and iron.
“Good” unsaturated fats — Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — lower disease risk. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish.
There is no agreed-upon normal range for body fat, just as there is no ideal body weight. According to the World Health Organization, men ages 40 to 59 should aim for 11% to 21% body fat, while for men ages 60 to 79, the range is 13% to 24%.