Although fat got a lot of flak in the carb-crazy ’90s, it is
actually very important to a healthy diet. Fat comes in two main
forms: unsaturated and saturated. Unsaturated fats are oils –
the kind that are fluid at room temperature, such as olive and
canola oils. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature –
think a stick of butter or glob of coconut oil. You need both
kinds in your diet, but the majority should come from
unsaturated fats. The current recommendation is that you get
about 25 percent to 35 percent of your daily calories from fat
(that’s 56-78 grams of fat on a 2,000-calorie diet), with no
more than 10 percent (22 grams) coming from saturated fat. So
what does fat actually do for you? • It’s a major fuel source
for your body, meaning it provides a lot of calories, and also
the main way you store energy. • You need fat to help you absorb
certain nutrients, such as fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K
and antioxidants – lycopene and beta-carotene. • Fat is
important in giving your cells structure.