We encourage a diverse intake of dietary fat as part of a nutritious dietary pattern!
It is recommended that you consume dietary fat from a variety of sources to assist with adequate micronutrient intake, dietary diversity, and an appropriate ratio of poly:mono:saturated sources of fat. When looking beyond energy intake (1g fat = 9 calories), food choices that are rich in dietary fat will provide a unique profile of micronutrients, fibre types, and macronutrients. Thus, it’s encouraged to consume a variety of sources across the day to ensure you have nutrient diversity within your dietary pattern, such as those listed above!
Current health recommendations are to prioritise poly and monounsaturated sources of fat over saturated sources, which will be obtained from mainly plants and oily fish compared to other higher fat animal products such as fatty cuts of meat and butter. Keep in mind it is also recommended to limit saturated fat intake to <10% of total daily energy intake, which would be ~22g for an individual consuming 2,000 cal/day.
Fatty acids are essential for hormone production and distribution, insulation, immunity, nutrient absorption, cognition, cardiovascular health, and cell function (every single cell in our body is made from a lipid bilayer – that’s fat!). Therefore, guidelines suggest that 20-35% of total energy intake should be obtain from dietary fat, or more specifically 0.7-1.5g/kg/day. Keep in mind that intensity of exercise will also dictate whether fatty acids or carbohydrates are used as a primary fuel source, which can help guide you in determining your dietary fat:carb ratio on a daily basis.
As for distribution, it’s recommended that you distribute fat intake ~evenly between main meals to assist with satiation, sustained energy levels, rate of gastric emptying and fat-soluble vitamin absorption. Many vitamins that we obtain in our diet (mainly from fruits and vegetables) are fat soluble, meaning they can only be absorbed in the presence of fat. Therefore, adding nutritious fat sources to your salad such as extra-virgin olive oil, avocado, cheese and/or nuts can majorly assist the absorption of vitamin A, D, E, and K.