Daily Recommendations

For a child of 2 to 3 years old, 30 to 35 percent of daily calories should come from fat. The recommended numbers are 25 to 35 percent for children 4 to 18 and 20 to 35 percent for adults over 19.

Types of Fat

There are many different types of fat in a diet, including trans fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and polyunsaturated or monosaturated fat. The CDC recommends different daily amounts of each.

Trans Fat

Trans fats are artificially produced through a process called hydrogenation. They are often found in commercially baked and packaged foods and in fast foods or other restaurant foods that are deep fried. The CDC recommends that people of all ages keep the amount of trans fat in their diets as low as possible. There is no healthy amount of trans fat.

Saturated Fat

Saturated fat is found in fatty cuts of meat, cheese, whole milk and cream, butter and other foods. The CDC recommends that adults consume no more than 10 percent of their daily calories in saturated fat.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is found in animal-based foods like eggs, meat, whole milk and foods made using these ingredients. The CDC recommends no more than 300 milligrams per day of cholesterol in an adult diet.

Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are the healthiest fats. They can be found in foods like nuts, vegetable oils, fish and avocados. The CDC recommends that of the fat in the average adult diet, the majority should be poly- and monounsaturated fats.

Source:

Nutrition for Everyone: Dietary Fat