How Should I Really Feel About Fat?

Just like carbohydrates, fat is surrounded with controversy.  The good news is, it's fairly easy to sort out. You also need fat in your diet in order to survive. Fat has several functions:

• Like carbohydrates, triglycerides (the type of lipid we all know as fat) provide energy for our bodies.  We measure this energy in calories.  However, with fat you get a lot more bang for your buck. What I mean is that you get 9 calories per gram of fat you eat, versus only 4 calories per gram with carbs and protein. So it makes sense that you need less fat. The AMDR for fat is 20-35% of your daily calories. This translates to 44-78g fat/day for a 2000 calorie diet.
• Fat is also our body's storage form of energy.  When we eat too many calories, our body converts the energy into fat and it is stored in our tissues.  Our body does this to protect us in case we run out of food, so it can use stored energy to survive. If we don't like it, there is an easy solution: Don't eat too many calories.  But be careful, it is also dangerous when you don't have enough fat storage.
• Fat is also a form of insulation for the body.  There is a thin layer of subcutaneous fat just beneath the skin. This fat helps keep your body temperature at a constant, healthy level. There is also fat surrounding your internal organs to protect them from damage when you move around. 
• A certain amount of fat is needed in our diets to help us absorb fat-soluble vitamins, such as Vitamins A, D, E, and K. 
• Lastly, some types of fat are important in our diets because they help build the cell wall in our cells.

So, it sounds like fat is pretty important, right?  Why does the public tend to feel that it is bad for you then?  Probably because an excess of certain kinds of fat in your diet can cause serious health problems, including Cardiovascular Disease.  Let's look at the solution for the problem, as recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 :

1. Consume less than 10% of your calories from saturated fat.  For a review on saturated fat, read What's in the Food I Eat?  Saturated fats are found in animal food products, including meat, cheese, and milk, and processed foods.  
2. Avoid Trans fat like the plague. This type of fat has been chemically altered by the hydrogenation process, and is difficult for your body to digest. It is often found in margarine products. 
3. Choose fat sources that contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids.  These include fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. 
4. When selecting meat and dairy products, choose the lean or low-fat options. 

Alright, that's enough for now.  In honor of how delicious fat is, here's a fun recipe I used to make with my roommates.  Homemade doughnuts! These are way better than Krispy Kreme. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 tubes of Pillsbury Biscuit Dough (total 20 biscuits)
• About 3 cups of your choice of vegetable oil
• 1 cup of powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar 

Directions:

1. Pour oil into a medium size frying pan.  Heat up the oil for approximately 5 minutes on medium heat. 
2.  Take the biscuits out of the tube and pull them apart.  Punch a hole in the middle of the biscuits, shaping them into a doughnut shape. Tip: If you want doughnut holes, use the cap of a water bottle or something else small and round to cut out the center of the biscuit. The dough from the middle can be fried to make doughnut holes. 
3. Test the oil by placing one of the doughnuts or doughnut holes into the oil with a pair of salad tongs. If it burns easily, turn the heat to low and wait for the oil to cool. If it takes longer than two minutes to turn golden brown, turn up the heat slightly. Warning: The oil is hot and will burn if it touches your skin. Beware of the oil splashing. If you need to, turn down the heat to prevent this.
4. Once the oil is the correct temperature, begin frying the doughnuts by placing a couple at a time (as many as will fit in the pan) in the oil with the salad tongs. Turn them over as necessary to make sure that all sides of the doughnut are golden brown and firm. 
5. Take out the doughnuts when they are golden brown and firm.  Place them on a plate covered in paper towels and let them cool for approximately 5 minutes.
6. Repeat steps 4-5 until all of the doughnuts are fried.
7. Place the powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar in a glass bowl. Dip the doughnuts in the sugar until they are covered  to your taste. 
8. Enjoy! This yummy snack is fun to make with the family, and is a perfect treat when eaten in moderation. Makes about 20 doughnuts and 20 doughnut holes.  DON'T EAT THEM ALL IN ONE SITTING :)

Facts from Wardlaw's Perspectives in Nutrition, 8th Edition (a college textbook).