protein<\/a> sources is one we have looked at in depth on our site. In contrast, more often than not, people are seeking to reduce the amount of fat that they consume.<\/p>\nGood & Bad Fats<\/h2>\n
Different people require different splits of fats, proteins and carbs, depending on their goals, lifestyle and bodies. However, in general it is thought people should obtain around 20%-35% of their total calories from fat. With a typical 2000 calorie per day diet, that equates to between 400 and 700 calories of fat.<\/p>\n
The National Health service (NHS) suggests that eating less than 70g of fat (630 calories\u2019 worth) on a 2000 calorie diet is best, so we would suggest somewhere between 400 and 630 calories per day from fat.<\/p>\n
However, not all fats are created equally, far from it in fact; some fats are significantly healthier than others. For a long time fat was demonised in the media, but over the past 10-20 years the idea of \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cbad\u201d fats has very much taken hold. Some people argue that the evidence that saturated fats are best avoided is erroneous, and advocates of some high fat diets claim there are studies backing up their stance.<\/p>\n
Saturated Fats<\/h3>\n
This remains something of a contentious issue but the medical, nutritional and scientific communities generally agree that based on current evidence, the consumption of saturated fats should be limited. Of the higher limit of 70g of fat the NHS recommends we consume, a maximum of 20g should be saturated.<\/p>\n
Unsaturated Fats<\/h3>\n
That means that the majority of the fat we consume should be unsaturated and this is (finally you may be saying!) where Omega-3s come in. Until relatively recently, most people with a basic understanding of nutrition were aware of the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats. However, over the past 20 years or so, more and more has become known about a division within unsaturated fats: that between polyunsaturated (PUFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) fats.<\/p>\n
Breakdown of Fat Composition<\/h3>\n
All fats actually contain a mixture of saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. However, the proportions of these can vary hugely. For example, butter and soft margarine have very similar fat contents per 100g (82.2g for the former, 81.7g for the latter) but their composition is very different.<\/p>\n