Fat

How it is used

Dietitians separate types of dietary fat: saturated, unsaturated and trans fat. You will hear 'total fat', 'fat intake', 'low-fat products' and 'healthy fats'. In body composition, 'body fat' and 'fat mass' refer to stored fat, not to fat in food.

Example sentences

1. Olive oil is mostly unsaturated fat, while butter contains much more saturated fat.

2. The label shows 12 grams of fat per serving.

Common collocations

• total fat
• fat intake
• low-fat
• healthy fats
• body fat

Related terms

• saturated fatA type of fat whose fatty acids have no double bonds. It is found mainly in butter, fatty meat, cheese, coconut oil and palm oil, and is usually solid at room temperature.
• unsaturated fatA type of fat with one or more double bonds in its fatty acids, usually liquid at room temperature. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are its two main groups.
• trans fatA type of unsaturated fat whose structure makes it behave like saturated fat in the body. Most of it came from partially hydrogenated oils, and it raises LDL and lowers HDL cholesterol.
• fat-soluble vitaminOne of the four vitamins, A, D, E and K, that dissolve in fat. They are absorbed together with dietary fat and can be stored in the liver and fatty tissue.
• cholesterolA waxy, fat-like substance that the body uses to build cell membranes and make hormones and vitamin D. The liver makes most of it, and it is also found in animal foods.

More terms: Macronutrients and Water

• nutrient
• macronutrient
• protein
• carbohydrate
• dietary fiber
• hydration
• essential amino acid
• omega-3 fatty acids
• complex carbohydrate