Fats

Fats can be divided into soft, or unsaturated, and hard, or saturated fats. Hard fats also include trans fats, which should be avoided in the diet just like saturated fats.

Essential fatty acids for humans are:
- linoleic acid, which is an omega-6 fatty acid
- alpha-linolenic acid, which is an omega-3 fatty acid.

Nutrition and dietary recommendations suggest that fat should make up 25–40% of your daily energy intake. Any increase in fat use should come from soft fats, and the recommended intake of monounsaturated fatty acids is 10–20% of energy. The proportion of saturated fatty acids should be at most 10% of energy.