Fat Intake Calculator

Fat is an essential nutrient for healthy bodily function. Understanding how much fat your body needs to function properly is vital. The fat intake calculator below uses your body measurements and activity level to estimate the amount of fat your body needs to maintain a healthy diet.

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What Are Fats?

Fats are one of three macronutrients, along with carbohydrates and proteins, that provide the energy the body needs to function properly. They are calorie-dense, providing 9 calories per gram, more than double the 4 calories carbohydrates and proteins supply per gram.

There are four major types of dietary fats: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fats. While fats in general have garnered a bad rap, they are typically only harmful in excess, much like other macronutrients, and certain types are more harmful than others.

Unhealthy Dietary Fat

Saturated Fat

Saturated fats are unhealthy dietary fats commonly found in butter, cheese, and red meat. They are solid at room temperature, unlike unsaturated fats such as olive oil, which are liquid at room temperature.

Saturated fats raise your LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease. They’re nearly impossible to avoid altogether, but they should be limited to less than 10% of your daily calories.

Trans Fat

Trans fats are produced through hydrogenation, a process where liquid oils are solidified, creating partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned food manufacturers from adding PHOs to their products. However, trace amounts are still produced during manufacturing, and some foods, such as meat and dairy, contain naturally occurring trans fats.

Like saturated fats, trans fats raise your LDL cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease. However, they also lower your HDL, or “good,” cholesterol, increasing the strain on your heart. Trans fats are not part of a healthy diet, so they should be limited as much as possible.

Healthy Dietary Fat

Not all types of dietary fats have negative effects. Unsaturated fats, which come in two types: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, are healthy fats that improve cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease.

Monounsaturated fats are found in many foods, including meat and dairy. However, meat and dairy contain about the same amount of saturated and unsaturated fat. Plant-based foods, such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil, are high in monounsaturated fats and low in saturated fats, improving heart health and blood sugar levels.

Polyunsaturated fats come in the form of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are typically found in fish, chia seeds, and walnuts, and they lower triglyceride levels and decrease heart disease risk. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils, and they improve cholesterol and blood sugar.

How to Calculate Recommended Fat Intake

To calculate recommended fat intake, first calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), or the amount of calories burned while the body is in complete rest, using the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation below.

For women: (10 x weight [kg]) + (6.25 x height [cm]) - (5 x age [years]) - 161

For men: (10 x weight [kg]) + (6.25 x height [cm]) - (5 x age [years]) + 5

Then, multiply your BMR by one of the following multipliers, depending on your activity level, to find your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), or the number of calories you burn a day.

Sedentary: 1.2

Lightly active: 1.375

Moderately active: 1.55

Very active: 1.725

Extra active: 1.9

For weight maintenance, about 30% of your daily calories should come from fats. The following equation gives you the recommended fat intake in grams.

TDEE x 0.3 / 9

For example, if your TDEE is 1800 calories, 540 should come from fats, making your daily fat intake 60 grams. Your diet’s fat percentage could differ if you’re targeting weight loss or weight gain.

How to Calculate Calories From Fat

Each gram of fat contains 9 calories, so to calculate how many calories you intake from fat, simply multiply your intake by 9. For example, if you want to know how many calories you’re getting from 20 grams of fat, multiply 20 by 9, equating to 180 calories.