Fats

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            Fat is another essential nutrient and a part of healthy diet. But when we hear ‘fat’ sound we think we should not take it which is a misconception.  Fats also give us energy. In fact, fats give much more energy as compared to the same amount of carbohydrates. Foods containing fat and carbohydrate is called energy giving food. We need a minimum of 10% to 20% of our overall calories as fat. 

Types of Fats:

            The main types of fat found in food are:

      1. Saturated Fats
      2. Unsaturated Fats

Sources of Fats:

            Most fats and oils contain both saturated and unsaturated fats in different proportions.

            Saturated fats found in many foods, most of them come from animal sources. For example: butter, ghee, cheese (especially hard cheese like cheddar), cream, biscuits, cakes, palm oil, coconut oil and coconut cream. Unsaturated fats mostly found in oils from plants and fish.

            As part of a healthy diet, we should try to cut down on foods that are high in saturated fats and replace some of them with unsaturated fats.

Test for Presence of Fat in Food:

Required materials: – a piece of paper, food item to be tested.

Procedure: –

    1. Take a small quantity of the food item to be tested.
    2. Wrap the food item in a piece of paper and crush it.
    3. Straighten the paper.
    4. Dry the paper by keeping it in sunlight for a while.
    5. Observe the paper.

Observation: – An oily patch appears on the paper.

Result: – An oily patch on paper shows that the food item contains fat.

Importance of the Fat:

    • Fats act as secondary fuel for the body.
    • Fat is a structural component of the cell membrane.
    • Fat helps the body absorb vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E. These vitamins are fat-soluble, which means they can only be absorbed with the help of fats.

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