Does it matter if fat intake is consistently low?
kiela64
Posts: 1,447 Member
I am aware it doesn't matter for weight loss, but nutritionally, does it matter if I'm consistently maybe 20-30g low on the default fat goal for MFP?
I'm not trying to eat low fat or anything, we just buy lean cuts of meat (I hate the feeling of fat on meat it makes me gag) and other than cooking oil/butter, my fats come from low-fat dairy (1% milk, 2% greek yogurt) and peanuts or peanut butter. Nothing else really has fat in it? I'm not sure how I would try to hit the macro, maybe more nuts or oils? But does it matter/should I care?
I know there's like a keto craze and there are low-carb diets, and omega 3's are supposed to be healthy, but I just don't know if it's nutritionally important to hit a certain amount or w/e?
I'm not trying to eat low fat or anything, we just buy lean cuts of meat (I hate the feeling of fat on meat it makes me gag) and other than cooking oil/butter, my fats come from low-fat dairy (1% milk, 2% greek yogurt) and peanuts or peanut butter. Nothing else really has fat in it? I'm not sure how I would try to hit the macro, maybe more nuts or oils? But does it matter/should I care?
I know there's like a keto craze and there are low-carb diets, and omega 3's are supposed to be healthy, but I just don't know if it's nutritionally important to hit a certain amount or w/e?
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Replies
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It doesn't just matter for nutrition it is essential.6
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I believe the recommendation is to get 0.3g of fat per lb of goal body weight as a minimum. As Novus said, a reasonable amount of fat is essential, it's used on all sorts of processes in the body.4
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I believe the recommendation is to get 0.3g of fat per lb of goal body weight as a minimum. As Novus said, a reasonable amount of fat is essential, it's used on all sorts of processes in the body.
Okay, so I'm close then. 110-130 is the normal BMI range for my height 5'2", taking the medium at 120x0.3 that's 36g. So it might be fine, thanks!1 -
Just to give some more information about how low, this is an example of some low fat days recently. If that makes sense.
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OP: I'm not sure where MFP gets the #'s that it uses for "recommended" nutient levels but I only consider them advisory. Each person's nutritional needs are different and the recommended #'s may or may not correspond w/your actual health needs.
Rather thsn dwell on the number, I would suggest focusing on the consequences of a fat deficiency in your diet instead. Many articles on the topic popped up when I Googled it. I suggest you do the same but just as an example, this is a quote from a HuffPost article listing some of the consequences of having a fat deficient diet:
"9 signs you're not eating enough fat
As healthy fats help our bodies build and maintain cell membranes and absorb and transport vitamins, inadequate intake results in functions of these processes being impaired, Gawthorne explained.
Signs of inadequate fat intake include:
Dry and scaly skin
Dry eyes
Feeling constantly cold
Dry hair and/or hair loss
Hormonal problems, including loss of menstrual cycle
Inability to feel full/always feeling hungry
Issues concentrating and/or mental fatigue
Deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins
Constant fatigue"
If you don't have or develop any of these symptoms, I wouldn't worry about not meeting MFP's fat guidelines.
On the other hand, if you do have or develop any such symptoms, you should get a medical assessment and increase your fat intake if it is,found that they are due to a fat deficiency in your diet.
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Fats help your body to absorb “fat soluble” vitamins A, D, E, and K.1
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It looks like you're getting in the ballpark of your minimum fat needs on average, so I wouldn't worry about it unless your doctor says otherwise or you're showing any of the symptoms listed above.3
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Seems fine -- certainly you need some fat, but various other countries (like Japan) have lower fat diets than the US on average, and the MFP recommendation is not based on essential fat but general guidelines for balance.
Omega 3s are important, and the best source is fatty fish (like salmon, it need not taste "fatty" in the way other meats can). Nuts and seeds (not just peanuts) are IMO pretty healthful foods to add too, and avocado if you like it. As well as those, I also love olives, so being overly low on fat is not something I ever worry about. I don't think you need to worry about it either, but just some ideas if you want to add more.2 -
consider adding some higher fat options - like greek yogurt - i saw that chobani now has some greek yogurts that have nut butters mixed in (I was skeptical at first but enjoy them) - they are 7g of fat per cup, vs the 1-2g in many of the lower fat versions (or go hog wild with something like noosa - which is full-fat yogurt)1
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deannalfisher wrote: »consider adding some higher fat options - like greek yogurt - i saw that chobani now has some greek yogurts that have nut butters mixed in (I was skeptical at first but enjoy them) - they are 7g of fat per cup, vs the 1-2g in many of the lower fat versions (or go hog wild with something like noosa - which is full-fat yogurt)
Is dairy fat good though? I went to a registered nutritionist recommended by my doctor a few years ago and they told me to go with the lowest fat dairy possible, and they especially pushed "light cheese" (which is disgusting btw). That said, 5% greek yogurt is delicious and I'd happily add it.Seems fine -- certainly you need some fat, but various other countries (like Japan) have lower fat diets than the US on average, and the MFP recommendation is not based on essential fat but general guidelines for balance.
Omega 3s are important, and the best source is fatty fish (like salmon, it need not taste "fatty" in the way other meats can). Nuts and seeds (not just peanuts) are IMO pretty healthful foods to add too, and avocado if you like it. As well as those, I also love olives, so being overly low on fat is not something I ever worry about. I don't think you need to worry about it either, but just some ideas if you want to add more.
Thanks! Maybe what I need to focus on is the quality not quantity of the fat?
I've tried taking omega 3 capsules, but they give me fish burps literally all day, no matter what else I eat I still burp fish-taste. It's not that bad to begin with, but it's pretty unpleasant to taste the same thing all day.
I also eat eggs on occasion, I just find them finicky because they don't really make-ahead or keep very long (I typically cook once a week and freeze sandwiches and a soup/stew in portions). Also the nutritionist I saw ~5 years ago said never to eat more than one egg in a day because of the high cholesterol. (Which I never do, when I have them I usually have 2, but I don't have them too often).
I tend to go with peanuts because they're higher in protein and decently inexpensive for a large container I can portion out. But I also like sunflower seeds, I can make a point to get some.
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Fat is essential for brain function, the human brain actually being quite fatty itself. I vaguely remember (this may be faulty, as it's from many years ago) that under 30-something grams of fat per day was considered very a low fat diet, and should not be attempted unless a medical condition called for it. (remember, this is not something I heard in recent years therefore my recall may not be accurate)
as long as you are regularly hitting over that, and less regularly going under that, you should be good.
Ok, I just sense-checked my own post, and pop this link here from the British Heart Foundation
https://heartuk.org.uk/very-low-fat-diet/introduction - I knew the number 30 was in there somewhere
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Very interesting. I’d been wondering the same thing. I seldom get near the fat goal.0
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deannalfisher wrote: »consider adding some higher fat options - like greek yogurt - i saw that chobani now has some greek yogurts that have nut butters mixed in (I was skeptical at first but enjoy them) - they are 7g of fat per cup, vs the 1-2g in many of the lower fat versions (or go hog wild with something like noosa - which is full-fat yogurt)
Is dairy fat good though? I went to a registered nutritionist recommended by my doctor a few years ago and they told me to go with the lowest fat dairy possible, and they especially pushed "light cheese" (which is disgusting btw). That said, 5% greek yogurt is delicious and I'd happily add it.Seems fine -- certainly you need some fat, but various other countries (like Japan) have lower fat diets than the US on average, and the MFP recommendation is not based on essential fat but general guidelines for balance.
Omega 3s are important, and the best source is fatty fish (like salmon, it need not taste "fatty" in the way other meats can). Nuts and seeds (not just peanuts) are IMO pretty healthful foods to add too, and avocado if you like it. As well as those, I also love olives, so being overly low on fat is not something I ever worry about. I don't think you need to worry about it either, but just some ideas if you want to add more.
Thanks! Maybe what I need to focus on is the quality not quantity of the fat?
I've tried taking omega 3 capsules, but they give me fish burps literally all day, no matter what else I eat I still burp fish-taste. It's not that bad to begin with, but it's pretty unpleasant to taste the same thing all day.
I also eat eggs on occasion, I just find them finicky because they don't really make-ahead or keep very long (I typically cook once a week and freeze sandwiches and a soup/stew in portions). Also the nutritionist I saw ~5 years ago said never to eat more than one egg in a day because of the high cholesterol. (Which I never do, when I have them I usually have 2, but I don't have them too often).
I tend to go with peanuts because they're higher in protein and decently inexpensive for a large container I can portion out. But I also like sunflower seeds, I can make a point to get some.
i eat dairy fat every day and have near perfect bloodword (except for my dang thyroid) - my bet is that recommendation when in the time a few years ago when "fat" was the demon (now it seems to be carbs)...I find the fuller-fat dairy products to be more satiating in the long run - and concur light cheese is horrible - i prefer to splurge on a really good cheese and just savor it2 -
deannalfisher wrote: »consider adding some higher fat options - like greek yogurt - i saw that chobani now has some greek yogurts that have nut butters mixed in (I was skeptical at first but enjoy them) - they are 7g of fat per cup, vs the 1-2g in many of the lower fat versions (or go hog wild with something like noosa - which is full-fat yogurt)
Is dairy fat good though? I went to a registered nutritionist recommended by my doctor a few years ago and they told me to go with the lowest fat dairy possible, and they especially pushed "light cheese" (which is disgusting btw). That said, 5% greek yogurt is delicious and I'd happily add it.Seems fine -- certainly you need some fat, but various other countries (like Japan) have lower fat diets than the US on average, and the MFP recommendation is not based on essential fat but general guidelines for balance.
Omega 3s are important, and the best source is fatty fish (like salmon, it need not taste "fatty" in the way other meats can). Nuts and seeds (not just peanuts) are IMO pretty healthful foods to add too, and avocado if you like it. As well as those, I also love olives, so being overly low on fat is not something I ever worry about. I don't think you need to worry about it either, but just some ideas if you want to add more.
Thanks! Maybe what I need to focus on is the quality not quantity of the fat?
I've tried taking omega 3 capsules, but they give me fish burps literally all day, no matter what else I eat I still burp fish-taste. It's not that bad to begin with, but it's pretty unpleasant to taste the same thing all day.
I also eat eggs on occasion, I just find them finicky because they don't really make-ahead or keep very long (I typically cook once a week and freeze sandwiches and a soup/stew in portions). Also the nutritionist I saw ~5 years ago said never to eat more than one egg in a day because of the high cholesterol. (Which I never do, when I have them I usually have 2, but I don't have them too often).
I tend to go with peanuts because they're higher in protein and decently inexpensive for a large container I can portion out. But I also like sunflower seeds, I can make a point to get some.
Egg studies are all over the place, but I believe the main consensus currently is that a couple eggs a day are fine (there was one recent study that said otherwise, but the rest of the more recent opinion/studies seems to be that eggs aren't a problem, and that cholesterol in food is unlikely to matter for most). Here's one discussion: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cholesterol-unscrambled_b_6692940
With dairy fat, the longitudinal studies don't seem to show any better results for those who consume low or no fat dairy vs. full fat (correlation analysis), although the debate on that less settled, IMO. My personal view is that I like low fat cottage cheese and greek yogurt just as well (I don't drink milk), and they have fewer calories and are just as filling for me, so I consume them as a good source of protein. I don't think dairy fat is harmful (within reason), but I also don't think it's particularly beneficial, so I don't go out of my way to include it in my diet. Cheese, of course, is all about taste, so no low fat cheese for me!
Here's one article on dairy: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/is-low-fat-or-full-fat-the-better-choice-for-dairy-products.
I would say don't go out of your way to keep fat low, but if you are happy and satisfied with your current diet and don't have any health issues, it doesn't sound like there's any need to change it, your levels aren't super low.
On omega-3, there are vegetarian sources like flax seed, but they have one kind of omega-3 (ALA) that we usually are less likely to be low in. In theory we convert ALA to DLA if we have enough, but that's not consistently true for all, from what I've read. Fish is the best source of DLA/EPA. If you don't like fish/haven't had a good experience with fish oil, there are algae sources (pill form) that vegans often use. I take them when I am not eating much fish, although I'm not saying this is really necessary -- I'm nerdy about these things.2 -
I don't get fish burps from this brand of fish oil supplements: https://www.iherb.com/pr/Carlson-Labs-Norwegian-Super-Omega-3-Gems-180-Soft-Gels/628660
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Seems fine -- certainly you need some fat, but various other countries (like Japan) have lower fat diets than the US on average, and the MFP recommendation is not based on essential fat but general guidelines for balance.
Omega 3s are important, and the best source is fatty fish (like salmon, it need not taste "fatty" in the way other meats can). Nuts and seeds (not just peanuts) are IMO pretty healthful foods to add too, and avocado if you like it. As well as those, I also love olives, so being overly low on fat is not something I ever worry about. I don't think you need to worry about it either, but just some ideas if you want to add more.
Thanks! Maybe what I need to focus on is the quality not quantity of the fat?
I've tried taking omega 3 capsules, but they give me fish burps literally all day, no matter what else I eat I still burp fish-taste. It's not that bad to begin with, but it's pretty unpleasant to taste the same thing all day. [/quote]
if you are burping fish taste, it means that the oil is rancid. Fish oil capsules should be refrigerated.0 -
Seems fine -- certainly you need some fat, but various other countries (like Japan) have lower fat diets than the US on average, and the MFP recommendation is not based on essential fat but general guidelines for balance.
Omega 3s are important, and the best source is fatty fish (like salmon, it need not taste "fatty" in the way other meats can). Nuts and seeds (not just peanuts) are IMO pretty healthful foods to add too, and avocado if you like it. As well as those, I also love olives, so being overly low on fat is not something I ever worry about. I don't think you need to worry about it either, but just some ideas if you want to add more.
Thanks! Maybe what I need to focus on is the quality not quantity of the fat?
I've tried taking omega 3 capsules, but they give me fish burps literally all day, no matter what else I eat I still burp fish-taste. It's not that bad to begin with, but it's pretty unpleasant to taste the same thing all day.
if you are burping fish taste, it means that the oil is rancid. Fish oil capsules should be refrigerated.[/quote]
My dad has been taking them for maybe 10 years and has never kept them in the fridge.... 0_0 Horror. I tried finding a source for this though and only came up with blogs, nothing authoritative to pass on. It also doesn't say to refrigerate on the bottle... Maybe I will get my own bottle and keep them in the fridge and try again.
I came back because I started taking one in the morning before eating anything because this pattern was still worrying me a little, and noticed the burps seemed to pass by lunchtime now. I thought it was helping me feel a little better (maybe placebo but I'll take it). But Yikes, definitely don't want to be taking anything that's gone off. Thank you for the info!0
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