CHAPTER 8 LESSON 4: DIETARY FAT RECOMMENDATIONS

Assume Jane is a 38-year old client and is seeking to lose weight. She has transitioned from eating 2,000 calories per day to 1,500 calories per day. The food label image on this page indicates there is one gram of saturated fat in the product. This equals 5% DV based on a 2,000-calorie diet. However, Jane is on a 1,500-calorie diet, not a 2,000-calorie diet. Therefore, what would be the % DV of saturated fat in this product for Jane? Remember, it is reccomended that no more than 10% of one's daily food intake come from saturated fat.

1,500 total calories x (10%) = 150 calories from saturated fat per day (100% DV) 150 calories from saturated fat / 9 calories per gram = 16.6 grams of saturated fat 1 gram saturated fat in the product / 16.6 grams saturated fat allowed per day = 0.06 x 100 = 6% **This demonstrates how total daily calories and % DV on food labels have an inverse relationship. As daily calorie intake goes down below 2000, the % DV of a nutrient in a product will actually be higher than what is printed on a nutrition facts label. As total daily calories increase over 2000, the % DV of nutrients contained in a product will be smaller than what is printed on the label.

What is the recommendation for saturated fat according to the US Dietary Guidelines, the World Health Organization, and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization?

10% or less of total calories

What is the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for fat?

20-35% of total calories

Fat Calculations Molly is on an 1800-kcals-per-day eating plan and is following recommendations from the Institute of Medicine and the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. How many calories from fat should she be consuming? How many calories from saturated fat should Molly consume per day? How many grams of fat and saturated fat (total fat) should Molly be consuming?

Answer for total fat: 1800 kcals x 0.20 = 360 kcals 1800 kcals x 0.35 = 630 kcals Between 360 to 630 kcals Answer for saturated fat: 1800 kcals x 0.10 = 180 kcals 180 kcals/9 kcals/gm = 20 grams Answer for grams of total fat: 360 kcals/9 kcals/gm = 40 grams 630 kcals/9 kcals/gm = 70 grams Between 40 to 70 grams

Identify a practical strategy and/or foods to help reduce total fat and saturated fat intake.

Bake, Broil, or Grill

Practical strategies to help clients reduce total fat and saturated fat in their diet. These include the following:

Bake, broil, or grill meats and avoid frying. Avoid breaded meats and vegetables when possible. For instance, a 3-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast has 2.9 grams of fat, of which 0.9 grams is saturated fat. That same chicken breast with the skin on has 7.0 grams of fat and 1.3 grams of saturated fat. A battered and fried chicken breast has approximately 13 grams of fat and 2 grams of saturated fat. While these are estimates, the point is that there are ways to prepare a food (remove skin) and cook (grill) that means less fat and saturated fat will be consumed. Read labels. Figure: Food Label provides an example.

Figure: Food Label provides an example.

Based on the food label, this 2/3 cup of food has 8 grams of fat, which is 10% Daily Value (DV). The % DV can be used as a guide to make food decisions. For instance, 5% or less of DV for a nutrient is considered low, and 20% or more of a nutrient is considered high. Therefore, in this example, dietary fat would be not be considered either low or high in % DV. For saturated fat, this food contains 1 gram or 5% of DV, which would make this a low % DV. However, % DV is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Dietary Essential Fatty Acid Recommendations Table: Selected Food Sources of Omega-6 Fatty Acids)

For omega-6s, the AI is 17 grams for men and 12 grams for women. Because omega-6 food sources are readily available, such as in plant oils, including soybean, safflower, and canola, it is easy to meet the dietary recommendations. However, this means that several processed foods have large amounts of omega-6s in them, as well. Be careful when searching for those foods high in omega-6 fatty acids. Good sources of omega-6s, that are healthier than processed foods, can be found in flaxseed oil and seeds, hemp seeds, acai, and nuts including pecans, walnuts, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds (Table: Selected Food Sources of Omega-6s).

Adequate Intake (AI)

The recommended average daily intake level based on observed or experimentally determined estimates of nutrient intake by groups of apparently healthy people that are assumed to be adequate. The AI is used when an RDA cannot be determined.

Dietary Fat and Saturated Fat Recommendations

United States and Canada (DRIs) & Australian Dietary Guidelines set an acceptable macronutrient distribution range (AMDRs) for fat of between 20% to 35% of total calories per day for dietary fat. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, FAO/WHO and Austria support individuals should consume less than 10% of calories from saturated fats. British Nutrition Foundation (2018) and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Consultation (2010) recommend dietary fat intake to be no more than 35% and not to exceed more than 30% British Nutrition Foundation (2018) recommends that not more than 11% of calories should come from saturated fat.

Table: Dietary Fat Resource is a list of common low-fat, moderate-fat, and high-fat foods and can be used as a helpful resource.

dietary fat is a vital component to our diet because of its role in important functions in our bodies. Nutrition coaches need to find ways to incorporate healthy fat recommendations with all their clients while focusing on the individual's goals.

Table: Recommendations for Food Choices

the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and Australian Dietary Guidelines both recommend consuming a healthy, mixed eating pattern that includes a wide variety of nutrient dense foods within an appropriate calorie level. **Studies have found people have misinterpreted the "replace saturated fat" message and are instead replacing saturated fats with refined carbohydrates, which is not beneficial for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease (Sacks et al., 2017).

Dietary Essential Fatty Acid Recommendations Table: Selected Food Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids)

the adequate intake (AI) for omega-3 fatty acid is 1.6 grams and 1.1 grams per day for males and females (ages 14 to 51+ years), respectively. Consumption of EPA and DHA from food contributes a very small amount, about 40 mg daily, to the total daily omega-3 intake (U.S. Department of Agriculture