Fat can comprise up to 30 percent of the total calories of a healthy person's diet.

Technically speaking, fat contains nine calories per gram, while protein and carbohydrates both contain only four calories per gram.

With that being said, you would have a very hard time completely eliminating fat from your diet.  Even vegetables and fruit contain fat.  However, it is not soley the total amount of fat that you eat, but rather the kind of fat that you eat that matters.

4 Basic Types of Dietary Fats

There are four types of basic dietary fats: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fatty acids.  When we think of fats, "saturation" is a key word that comes to mind.

• Saturated fat is solid at room temperature, with a few exceptions that include palm and coconut oils.  Saturated fats are found in and around meats, whole milk, butter, cheese, shortening, ice cream, chocolate, coconuts, and fried foods.  It is not a healthy fat.  Saturated fats contribute to plaque buildup in your arteries and as a result can raise blood cholesterol levels higher than cholesterol-rich foods.  In addition, saturated fats can raise the most damaging kind of cholesterol, LDL cholesterol.  It is best to steer clear of fried foods and baked desserts, like cakes and cookies, as these contain large amounts of saturated fats.

• Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are two types of fats that are considered good for the body.  Both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats work to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL).  Polyunsaturated fats are typically soft at room temperature.  Corn, soybean, safflower, sunflower, and cotton seed oils are examples of polyunsaturated fats.  Fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout, and sardines also contain these fats.  Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature.  Examples of this fat include olives and olive oil, peanuts and peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, cashews, almonds, and most nuts.

• Trans fatty acids are what hydrogenated oils are commonly called.  Trans fats are fats to which the manufacturers have added hydrogen to solidify and prolong a products shelf life.  This is the worst type of fat for the body.  Examples of trans fats include margarines, shortenings, salad dressings, frozen dinners, deep-fried chips, most commercial baked goods, chips, crackers and many fast foods. Trans fats have been linked with weight gain and coronary disease.  Trans fats tend to lower good cholesterol (HDL) levels, the kind that protects you against heart attacks and strokes, and raise bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, which can raise your risk of a heart-attack. 
  

Read the Food Labels and Look for Hidden 'Trans Fat' Words

It is important to read the food ingredients list to properly determine whether or not a product contains trans fats.  While the word "trans" may not be listed on the label, you should also look for other key words such as "shortening", "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" which all indicate trans fatty acids are ingredients of that particular food.  The higher they are listed in the ingredient list, the more trans fats there are in the food.

Another questionable trans fat substitute are 'interesterified fats' such as 'interesterified soybean oil' and 'stearic acid-enriched', which combine stearic acid with soybean oil in order to prolong the shelf life.  Interesterified fats, along with trans fats, are known to raise the level of unhealthy LDL cholesterol and fasting blood glucose, which is related to diabetes.

Thus, while cholesterol in food can elevate the bad blood cholesterol (LDL), the real culprit in your diet is saturated and trans fats.  Eating foods that are rich in soluble fiber will help keep cholesterol out of the bloodstream.  Most dieticians recommend foods that contain unmodified soybean or canola oil.

So, which foods should be at the top of your list?  Oatmeal (unless you are allergic or sensitive to oats), beans, peas, lentils, citrus fruits, apples and berries.  You may also want to consider eating foods that will help raise the good blood cholesterol (HDL), such as olives, avocados, nuts, seeds, wild salmon, and soybeans.  However, if you are trying to lose weight, you should watch the quantity of these foods because while they are very tasty, they are also high in calories.

Essential Fatty Acids