How Many Grams of Fat Should You Eat a Day?
By Alexandria “Alix” Best, founder and head coach of The Swole Kitchen · Certified Nutritionist · B.S. Public Health · Precision Nutrition certified
Fat has been blamed for weight gain, then praised as the secret to it, depending on the decade. Neither is true. Fat is an essential nutrient your body cannot run without, and like every macronutrient, the right amount sits in a range. Too little and your hormones, mood and food enjoyment suffer. Too much and it quietly crowds out the protein and carbs that drive results.
Here is how many grams of fat to eat per day, which fats to prioritize, and how to fit fat into your macros.
Key takeaways
- Most adults do well getting 20–35% of their calories from fat. In coaching, I usually start around 25%.
- That is roughly 40–80 grams a day for most people, depending on calorie intake.
- Do not drop below about 20% of calories for long. Very low fat intake can affect hormones, vitamin absorption and how satisfying your meals are.
- Prioritize unsaturated fats and omega-3s, keep saturated fat under 10% of calories, and avoid trans fats.
- Get your personal fat target with our free Macro Calculator.
Why your body needs fat
- Hormones: fat and cholesterol are raw materials for hormones, including testosterone and estrogen.
- Vitamin absorption: vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble. Without some fat in a meal, you absorb less of them.
- Cell health: every cell membrane in your body is built partly from fat.
- Energy: fat is your main fuel at rest and during low-intensity activity.
- Satiety and flavor: fat slows digestion and makes food taste good, which helps a plan feel livable.
How many grams of fat per day?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 20–35% of daily calories from fat. Fat has 9 calories per gram, so to find your grams, multiply your calories by your percentage and divide by 9.
| Daily calories | Fat at 25% | Fat at 30% |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 | about 42 g | 50 g |
| 1,800 | 50 g | 60 g |
| 2,000 | about 56 g | about 67 g |
| 2,500 | about 69 g | about 83 g |
| 3,000 | about 83 g | 100 g |
Another quick way to sanity-check it: about 0.3–0.5 g of fat per pound of bodyweight lands most people in a healthy range.
How much fat to lose weight?
Fat loss comes from a calorie deficit, not from eating more or less of one macronutrient. In a deficit, I set protein first, keep fat around 20–30% of calories so hormones and hunger stay in check, and give the rest to carbs to fuel training. Cutting fat to almost nothing is one of the fastest ways to end up hungry, flat and irritable.
How much fat on a low-carb or keto diet?
Low-carb and ketogenic diets flip the ratio, with fat often supplying 60–75% of calories. That can work for some people, mostly because it helps them control calories. If you go this route, the same rules apply: protein stays high, and most of your fat should come from whole-food, unsaturated sources rather than processed meats and butter.
Which fats to eat, and which to limit
Prioritize: unsaturated fats
- Monounsaturated: olive oil, avocado, almonds, cashews, peanuts and natural peanut butter.
- Polyunsaturated: walnuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, flax, chia.
- Omega-3s: salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel, plus walnuts, flax and chia. Aim for fatty fish about twice a week.
Moderate: saturated fats
Butter, cheese, fatty cuts of meat and coconut oil can fit, but the guidelines recommend keeping saturated fat under 10% of calories. On 2,000 calories, that is about 22 grams a day.
Avoid: trans fats
Artificial trans fats raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL. They have largely been removed from the U.S. food supply, but check labels on older shelf-stable baked goods and fried foods for partially hydrogenated oils.
What 10 grams of fat looks like
| Food | Amount for about 10 g fat |
|---|---|
| Olive oil | about 2 1/4 teaspoons |
| Avocado | about 1/3 medium |
| Almonds | about 16 almonds (about 2/3 oz) |
| Natural peanut butter | about 1 1/4 tablespoons |
| Whole eggs | 2 large |
| Farmed Atlantic salmon | about 3 oz cooked |
Fats are calorie-dense, so they are the easiest macro to overshoot without noticing. Oils, nut butters and dressings are the usual culprits. Measuring them for two weeks is one of the fastest wins in coaching.
Signs you may not be eating enough fat
- Constant hunger shortly after meals
- Dry skin or brittle hair
- Low energy and low mood on a long, aggressive diet
- Irregular menstrual cycles in women who are also very lean or in a large deficit
These signs have many possible causes. If they persist, talk with your doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Is 50 grams of fat a day enough?
For many people eating around 1,500–1,800 calories, yes. It falls within the 25–30% range. Larger, more active people usually need more.
Does eating fat make you fat?
No. Fat gain comes from a sustained calorie surplus. Fat is calorie-dense, so it is easy to overeat, but it is not uniquely fattening.
Should I count saturated fat separately?
You do not have to track it daily. Build most of your fat intake from unsaturated sources and saturated fat usually stays in range on its own.
Keep learning
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and HHS. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids.
- American Heart Association. Dietary Fats.
This article is for education and is not medical advice.
About the coach
Alexandria “Alix” Best founded The Swole Kitchen and coaches every client personally. She is a certified nutritionist with a B.S. in Public Health and Precision Nutrition certification, and has coached 1:1 nutrition and training for more than ten years. More about Alix