Question: How Do I Calculate My Fat Intake?
Ideally we should consume no more than 30% of calories from fat, but how do we figure out this number?
Answer: Suppose you have a box of cookies with 6 grams of fat and 130 calories per serving:
- Look for the number of calories from fat. You’ll find it on the nutrition facts label, but here’s how that number is calculated: Fat contains 9 calories per gram, so:
6 grams of fat x 9 = 54 calories from fat. - Divide fat calories by total calories, then multiply the result by 100. So:
54 divided by 130 x 100 = 41.5 % calories from fat.
If we are monitoring our fat intake, we can exceed the 30% figure in some of our food choices so long as we try and compensate elsewhere, by picking a snack that is much lower in fat later—say, a piece of fruit or a fat-free yogurt.
