What are dietary fats?

Direct answer: Dietary fats are a concentrated energy source at 9 kcal per gram. They carry vitamins A, D, E and K and supply essential fatty acids. ICMR-NIN separates visible fats (oils, butter, ghee) from invisible fat inside foods, and advises total fat at or under 30% of energy, limiting saturated fat and avoiding vanaspati.

What is invisible fat?

Fat already present in foods, such as nuts, oilseeds, eggs, fatty fish and some beans. Grains and pulses contain small amounts.

What does fat do in the body?

Provides energy, carries fat-soluble vitamins and promotes their absorption, and supplies essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).

Which fats should I limit?

ICMR-NIN advises limiting cooking oils and saturated fat (butter, ghee) and avoiding partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (vanaspati).

How are fats shown on labels?

FSSAI labels list total fat, saturated fat and trans fat. Module 6 explains how to read them.

FAQ

Is ghee a saturated fat?

ICMR-NIN groups butter and ghee as saturated fats to limit.

What are trans fats?

FSSAI defines them by their trans double-bond structure; partially hydrogenated oils are a common source.

Sources

• ICMR-NIN Expert Committee, Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024 (DGI 2024), nin.res.in/dietaryguidelines/pdfjs/locale/DGI_2024.pdf, Guideline 1 (Fats, PDF p. 26–27 / printed pp. 9–10); total fat ≤30% of energy: introduction, PDF p. 16
• FSSAI, Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 (compendium Version-I, 23.09.2021), fssai.gov.in, regulation 5(3)(a)(iii) (definitions of fats); compendium PDF pp. 9–10 (definitions, 2000 kcal reference) and p. 13 (energy factors)