Infographic: Balancing Transfats Saturated Fats Mono Poly Omega 3 6 9

Learn the basics of Dietary Fat.

How much? From what foods? What to avoid and more!

Check out our latest infographic explaining the basics of fat, their ratios, how they fit into a balanced diet, and whole food sources.  This infographic will explain that not all fat is the same. In fact, there are four types: Unsaturated, Saturated, Polyunsaturated, and Trans.  Learn about your sources for Omega-6, Omega-3, and Omega-9 fatty-acids. And what kind of foods to avoid like Hydrogenated Oils.


Macronutrient Ratios (i.e. Daily Caloric Intake of: % Protein – %Carb – %Fat)  should be consumed on an oscillating ratio:

Monday | Wednesday | Friday : 30% Protein – 30% Carb – 40% Fat

Tuesday | Thursday | Saturday : 30% Protein – 40% Carb – 30% Fat

Regardless of the daily-ratio (MWF or TThS) aim to breakdown fat-intake into equal parts:

33% Unsaturated – 33% Saturated – 33% Polyunsaturated – 0% Trans-fat

(If you are vegan, consuming saturated fat is completely optional. Vegan fat ratios are 50% Unsaturated – 50% Polyunsaturated.)

What does 33% look like in calories? This all depends of the diet plan you are following. However, based on a diet plan of 2,000 per day: 33% (of the original 40% Fat) = 266 Calories

Daily Food Examples (Note: these numbers are indicating calories from fat = c.f.f., not total calories):
33% Unsaturated = 1/4 C Almonds (101 c.f.f) + 1/2 C Avocado (95 c.f.f) + 2 TBSP Pumpkin seeds (72 c.f.f) + 1 TSBP Olive Oil (122 c.f.f.)
33% Saturated = 8 oz Chicken Breast (72 c.f.f) + 1 oz Goat Cheese (54 c.f.f)
33% Polyunsaturated = 1 TBSP Chia (27 c.f.f) + 1 TBSP Flax (45 c.f.f) + 2 TBSP Walnuts (81 c.f.f) + 3 oz Salmon (99 c.f.f)
Total Calories: 1425 | 86g Protein + 26g Carbs + 82g Fat

If you are following the MWF ratio of 30% Protein – 30% Carbs – 40% Fat, you almost fulfilled your fat requirement, and have 824 calories left to 6g of fat, 64g of protein and 124g carbs. That could look like: 2 C Brown Rice (433 t.c. – 90g Carbs), 1 C sweet potato (144 t.c. – 27g Carbs)  and a post workout whey isolate protein shake (130 t.c. – 30g protein).

Infographic explaining the basics of dietary fat intake, their ratios and whole food sources.

Daily Total: 1853 Calories | 128g Protein (28%) + 143g Carbs (31%) + 86g Fat (42%)
With 147 Calories to spare to get some extra protein.

Remember, food items do not fall perfectly into one category: Protein, Carb, or Fat (Saturated, Unsaturated, or Polyunsaturated). Many sources of fat will fall into more than one type. It’s all about finding a balance of the right ratios and sticking with whole food sources.

 

Omega 3, 6, and 9 Nutrition Guide

A vital nutrient for decreasing inflammation and improving your health

Get Started: Nutrition Coaching Alexandria

Types of fat Omega 3 Omega 6
Infographic explaining the basics of dietary fat intake, their ratios and whole food sources.

Omega 3 is vital polyunsatured fat… are you certain you’re getting enough?

There are three main types of Omega 3 that you should be concerned about consuming and that includes ALA, EPA, and DHA. Most polyunstatured fats are Omega 3, Omega 6, or Omega 9. Most of the nutritional buzz around Omega fatty acids involve just Omega 3 and Omega 6. This is because Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats are considered essential fatty acids (EFA) while your body can generate Omega 9. Common types of Omega 9 acids in the American diet include Oleic acid (included in olive oil, macadeamia nuts, etc.) and Erucic acid (rapeseed, wallflower, and mustard seed.)1

So if you eat enough Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, your body can produce enough Omega 9 on its own (unless you have special dietary conditions.) Common sources of EPA include safflower, corn, cottonseed, and soybean oils and livestock that consume these products. 2 This should come as no surprise since cattle is supposed to eat grass, but instead us humans have found it cheaper to feed them grain (i.e. corn.) Corn fed cattle can have an Omega 6 : Omega 3 ratio of 20-25 : 1 compared to grassfed cows coming closer to 3:1. Ibid. This isn’t just true for cattle, it’s true for eggs, bison, chickens (which generally eat insect, vegetables, etc. – not just corn, etc.) So, if you feed the animals the food they are supposed to eat, the meat produced by these animals is healthier to eat. Problem is, the American food industry has realized it’s cheaper to feed them grains and inject them with hormones and antibiotics (to deal with the infections) than to feed them the food they are supposed to eat.

While both Omega 3 and Omega 6 are EPAs, Americans primarily need to be concerned about eating more Omega 3 fatty acids, because most Americans eat too many Omega 6 fatty acids in their diet.

Golden Ratio is 1:2 – Omega 3: Omega 6

There is ample literature from dietitians and nutritionists that explains why maintaining a ratio of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats around 1:1 is the healthy way to go (although some researchers suggest 1:2 or 1:4 is safe enough3). Just to name a few of reasons to eat Omega 3, unbalanced Omega 6 consumption has been linked to heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, premature aging, and some forms of cancer. Omega 6 imbalances have also been linked to inflammation4, blood clotting, and tumor growth. However Omega 3 fatty acids act as the complete opposite. So, to counter the negative effects of Omega 6, you’ll want to consume the same amount of Omega 3 (or at least 25%-50% depending on which researcher you trust.) While Omega 6 imbalances cause a host of health issue, a balance Omega 3/6 profile leads to lowering of triglycerides, heart disease risk, high blood pressure, arthritis, stroke risk, kidney issues, weight loss, etc.

So How Much Omega 3 Do you Need?
2-4 Grams plus extra to compensate for rich Omega 6 Foods

It really depends on your diet. The short answer is enough to counterbalance the Omega 6 you are consuming. Some health professionals like Dr. Oz recommend 1 gram of fish oil a day, 5 but dietitians and researchers tend to indicate around 2-4 grams of fish oil a day is good too.  Again, it’ll depend on whether you are attempting to treat a specific disease, how much you weigh, and what your current diet looks like.

We also have to keep in mind that there are three types of omega 3 fatty acids we need to consume ALA, EPA, and DHA. 6 So how much of each? Assuming you are ingesting 4 grams of omega 3 per day (if you are an average size male) 1.6 grams of ALA,7 2 grams of EPA, and 1.2-1.4 grams of DHA (note people having specific medical conditions should consult a dietitian, because these ratios should be changed to treat different conditions.)

Be sure to also check out:

  1. Omega 3 Breakfast Boost Recipes
  2. Peanuts vs Cashews: the Great Nut Showdown
Food type Food Serving size ALA (g) EPA/DHA (g)
Eggs Eggs, cooked 2 eggs 0.15 0.07
Eggs Omega-3 eggs fortified with DHA* 2 eggs 0.52 0.2
Fats and Oils Canola oil 1 TSP 0.42 0
Fats and Oils Flaxseed oil 1 TSP 2.58 0
Fats and Oils Soybean oil 1 TSP 0.31 0
Fats and Oils Walnut oil 1 TSP 0.48 0
Fish Canned Anchovies 5 Ounces 0.02 3.08
Fish Caviar 5 Ounces 0.02 3.92
Fish Clams 5 Ounces 0.02 0.42
Fish Cod 5 Ounces 0 0.22
Fish Crab 5 Ounces 0.02 0.72
Fish Eel 5 Ounces 0.84 0.28
Fish Halbut 5 Ounces 0.1 1
Fish Herring 5 Ounces 0.14 3.2
Fish Lobster 5 Ounces 0.02 0.84
Fish Mussels 5 Ounces 0.06 1.18
Fish Octopus 5 Ounces 0 0.26
Fish Oysters (cooked Eastern) 5 Ounces 0.08 0.76
Fish Oysters (cooked Pacific) 5 Ounces 0.1 2.08
Fish Salmon (farm raised) 5 Ounces 0.2 2.9
Fish Salmon (wild) 5 Ounces 0.5 2.5
Fish Salmon Sockeye 5 Ounces 0.12 1.8
Fish Sardines 5 Ounces 0.5 1.8
Fish Scallops 5 Ounces 0 0.54
Fish Shrimp 5 Ounces 0.02 0.48
Fish Snapper 5 Ounces 0 0.5
Fish Tilapia 5 Ounces 0.06 0.2
Fish Trout 5 Ounces 0.16 1.5
Fish Tuna light water canned 5 Ounces 0 0.42
Fish Tuna white water canned 5 Ounces 0.1 1.3
Legumes Black eye Peas 3/4 Cup 0.11 0
Legumes Navy or Pinto Beans 3/4 Cup 0.2 0
Legumes Soybeans 3/4 Cup 0.76 0
Legumes Tofu 3/4 Cup 0.35 0
Nuts, Seeds, and bread Almonds 1/4 Cup 0.15 0
Nuts, Seeds, and bread Chia seeds 1 TBSP 1.9 0
Nuts, Seeds, and bread Flaxseed, ground 1 TBSP 2.46 0
Nuts, Seeds, and bread Hickory nuts 1/4 Cup 0.32 0
Nuts, Seeds, and bread Pecans 1/4 Cup 0.27 0
Nuts, Seeds, and bread Pumpkin seeds 1/4 Cup 0.06 0
Nuts, Seeds, and bread Soy nuts 1/4 Cup 0.42 0
Nuts, Seeds, and bread Walnuts, black 1/4 Cup 0.64 0
Nuts, Seeds, and bread Walnuts, English, Persian 1/4 Cup 2.3 0
Soy Milk Soy milk 1 Cup 0.19 0
Veggies Edamame 1 Cup 0.6 0
Veggies Radish seeds 1 Cup 0.84 0
Veggies Winter squash 1 Cup 0.36 0
Yogurt Yogurts fortified with Omega 3 1 cup 0.6 0
  1. Wikipedia
  2. Mercola
  3. University of Maryland
  4. Although some researchers indicate the opposite. “Omega-6 fatty acids lower LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) and reduce inflammation, and they are protective against heart disease.” http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/omega-3/ but even that article advocates balancing Omega 3 and Omega 6 is very important.
  5. Dr. Oz Show
  6. U Maryland
  7. Canada’s Dietitian’s Association
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