How To Determine The Percentage of Calories From Fat In Food
- Multiply the grams of total fat by 9 since there are 9 calories in every gram of fat. For example if the label says the food has 2 grams of total fat, 2 times 9 equals 18
- Divide the calories from fat by the total calories and multiply by 100. For example if the food has 18 calories from fat and the total calories per serving is 120, 18 divided by 120 times 100 equals 15%
- Don’t be fooled by the tiny 2 grams of fat per serving mentioned on the food label, in this example each serving contains 15% of calories from fat
- The ideal percentage of calories from fat in the overall diet is the subject of debate. Almost all information available stresses the need to not exceed a certain daily percentage of calories from fat. There is very little information on eating too little percentage of calories from fat because that is the opposite of the typical situation. In general, it’s thought that a highly physically active person should be above 15% and closer to 20%, whereas someone living a much more sedentary lifestyle should be below 15% but above 10%. Much more research is needed in this area. Consult your doctor before making any changes.