Calculate your daily fat intake target — get personalized total fat grams, saturated fat ceiling, and unsaturated fat range for weight loss, maintenance, muscle gain, or keto.
This fat intake calculator is designed for adults who want a concrete gram target for dietary fat, broken down by fat type. Enter your age, sex, weight, height, activity level, and goal, and the calculator derives your estimated TDEE (using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation), then applies USDA-aligned fat percentages to produce total fat grams per day, a saturated fat ceiling, and an unsaturated fat target range. Fat provides 9 calories per gram — more than twice the caloric density of protein or carbohydrates — so even modest shifts in fat intake produce significant calorie changes. The results include a saturated fat limit based on current Dietary Guidelines guidance of under 10% of calories. This calculator focuses on fat; for a complete macronutrient plan, use the Macro Calculator. Results are estimates for healthy adults; individuals with cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, or other metabolic conditions should discuss specific fat intake targets with their healthcare provider.
Fat, along with carbohydrates and proteins, is one of three macronutrients that provide the energy necessary for a person's metabolic system to function, and can be acquired through consuming various foods. There are numerous types of dietary fat, including saturated fat, trans fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and omega-3 fatty acids. While dietary fat is essential to proper body function, excess dietary fat leads to weight gain, and excess weight is linked to poor health outcomes.
Enter your stats and goal, then calculate. The result shows three numbers: total daily fat grams, the saturated fat ceiling (grams), and the recommended unsaturated fat range. A result like "65g total fat / 22g saturated fat ceiling / 40–50g unsaturated fat" means your fat budget for the day is 65g — try to keep at least 40g of that from unsaturated sources (olive oil, avocado, nuts, fish) and limit saturated sources (butter, red meat, full-fat dairy) to no more than 22g. Fat from whole food sources is generally preferable to isolated added fats regardless of type.
Fat targets use TDEE multiplied by the goal-specific fat percentage, then divided by 9 (since fat provides 9 kcal/gram):
Total Fat
(TDEE × fat%) ÷ 9
Saturated Fat Ceiling
(TDEE × 0.10) ÷ 9
Fat percentage by goal (within USDA AMDR of 20–35%):
| Goal | Fat % of TDEE |
|---|---|
| Weight loss | 20 – 25% |
| Maintenance | 25 – 35% |
| Muscle gain | 20 – 30% |
| Keto | 60 – 75% |
For a 160 lb (73 kg) woman with a 1,900 kcal TDEE at maintenance (30% fat): 1,900 × 0.30 ÷ 9 = 63g fat/day, with a saturated fat ceiling of 1,900 × 0.10 ÷ 9 = 21g/day.
Saturated fat is one of the more harmful types of fat and is mostly found in sources of food derived from animals: red meat, poultry, and dairy products. Saturated fat can also be found in various nuts, oils, and seeds.
Sources such as Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association recommend a diet low in saturated fat, arguing that it raises levels of "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Trans fat is a type of dietary fat that occurs naturally in small amounts in some foods, but most of the trans fat that people encounter is the result of a food processing method called partial hydrogenation. Highly processed foods, such as fast food, tend to have high amounts of trans fats.
Trans fats are commonly regarded as the "worst" type of dietary fat, are not essential, and have no known benefits to human health. Trans fats increase the risk of coronary artery disease by increasing LDL cholesterol while decreasing "good" HDL cholesterol. They can also increase the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Note: By law, a serving of food containing less than 0.5 grams of trans fat can be labeled as 0 grams. Check ingredients for "partially hydrogenated" to fully avoid trans fats.
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat are two types of unsaturated fat typically found in a variety of foods and oils, with polyunsaturated fat more commonly found in plant-based foods and oils. Studies have shown that both types, in small amounts, can help reduce LDL cholesterol while potentially increasing HDL cholesterol levels.
Furthermore, omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat rich in certain fish, have been found to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease.
Fat type matters as much as fat quantity. Saturated fat — found primarily in animal products like fatty beef, butter, full-fat dairy, and tropical oils — raises LDL cholesterol, which is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend keeping saturated fat under 10% of daily calories. Unsaturated fats divide further into monounsaturated (olive oil, avocados, almonds) and polyunsaturated (walnuts, flaxseed, fatty fish) — both are associated with improved lipid profiles and reduced inflammation. The practical strategy is not to count every fat gram but to make a deliberate swap: replace saturated fat sources at most meals with unsaturated alternatives. Swapping butter for olive oil, choosing salmon over ground beef a few times per week, and snacking on mixed nuts instead of cheese accomplishes more than most elaborate fat-tracking plans.
Because fat provides 9 calories per gram, a diet high in fat is calorie-dense even in small portions — two tablespoons of almond butter, for instance, deliver about 18g of fat and 190 calories. For weight loss, keeping fat at the lower end of the AMDR (20–25% of total calories) is often effective as a calorie-control strategy, provided the missing fat calories aren't replaced by refined carbohydrates. Critically, however, fat is not uniquely fattening: excess calories from any source drive weight gain, and very-low-fat diets often fail because they make food unpalatable and are hard to sustain. A fat intake target of 40–55g/day is common for moderately active women in a 1,500–1,700 kcal deficit range; for men in a 1,800–2,000 kcal deficit, 50–65g is typical. Don't drop fat so low that you compromise fat-soluble vitamin absorption or eliminate the dietary fats needed for hormone production.
The relationship between dietary fat and cardiovascular disease is more nuanced than the old "fat clogs arteries" narrative. Trans fats — partially hydrogenated vegetable oils found in processed foods — are definitively harmful and have been largely banned from the US food supply following FDA regulatory action. Saturated fat's role is more complex: the type of saturated fatty acid, what it replaces in the diet, and individual genetic variation all modulate its cardiovascular impact. Replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat lowers LDL and cardiovascular event rates, while replacing it with refined carbohydrates shows mixed or no benefit. Omega-3 fatty acids — EPA and DHA from fatty fish, ALA from flaxseed and walnuts — consistently show favorable effects on triglycerides and inflammation. The practical message: the quality and composition of dietary fat matters as much as the quantity tracked by a daily gram target.
So far, there is no golden rule guiding daily fat intake. Generally, some fat intake, particularly intake of unsaturated fats, can have beneficial effects on the human body. Children especially need some fat in their diets to be healthy. However, any type of fat, including healthier dietary fats, can have negative effects when consumed in excess.
Consume less than 10% of daily caloric needs in the form of saturated fats. Limiting consumption to less than 7% has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats if possible.
Minimize consumption of trans fats.
Consume less than 300 mg of dietary cholesterol each day.
A ketogenic diet inverts the standard fat guidance entirely. Where the AMDR tops fat at 35% of calories, keto pushes it to 60–75% to compensate for the near-elimination of carbohydrates and maintain sufficient caloric intake. At 2,000 calories, that means 133–167g of fat per day — roughly double the maintenance recommendation. Proponents argue that in ketosis, the body's fuel system shifts to fat oxidation, which some studies show improves specific metabolic markers. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans do not endorse ketogenic fat levels for the general population, and long-term adherence data remains limited. If you're using this calculator in keto mode, note that even at high fat totals, prioritizing unsaturated fat sources (avocado, olive oil, nuts, fatty fish) over saturated fat is still prudent for cardiovascular health.
| Age | Suggested Fat Intake Limit |
|---|---|
| Children ages 2 – 3 | 30–40% of total calories |
| Children and adolescents ages 4 – 18 | 25–35% of total calories |
| Adults ages 19+ | 20–35% of total calories |
Total calorie intake (TDEE) is the primary driver of fat gram targets — the percentage stays the same but the gram number scales with TDEE. Goal selection directly shifts the percentage applied: weight loss uses the bottom of the AMDR range while keto leaves it entirely. Fat type distribution within the gram total is the factor that most affects health outcomes and isn't captured by the calculator's single number — that's why the saturated fat ceiling and unsaturated fat target are displayed separately. Body weight influences TDEE and therefore absolute fat grams. Activity level affects both TDEE and the degree to which dietary fat is preferentially oxidized during lower-intensity exercise. Finally, individual genetics affect how LDL responds to saturated fat intake, explaining why some people can eat relatively high saturated fat without adverse cholesterol effects while others are highly responsive.
Devon is a 38-year-old in Chicago, 5'10", 180 lb (82 kg), active. TDEE ≈ 2,800 kcal. At 28% fat: 2,800 × 0.28 ÷ 9 = 87g fat/day; saturated fat ceiling 2,800 × 0.10 ÷ 9 = 31g/day. He averages 62g unsaturated fat from olive oil, avocado, and walnuts, keeping saturated fat to 25g — slightly under his ceiling — by choosing leaner cuts of meat three of five weeknight dinners.
Sandra is a 55-year-old in Nashville, 5'3", 188 lb (85 kg), sedentary, targeting fat loss. TDEE ≈ 1,760 kcal; with a 350-calorie deficit she targets 1,410 kcal. At 22% fat: 1,410 × 0.22 ÷ 9 = 34g fat/day. At this level, she focuses all her fat budget on high-quality sources — a tablespoon of olive oil, half an avocado, and a small handful of almonds — which satisfies the biological requirement while leaving the calorie budget for high-volume protein and produce.
15-30 minutes of elevated heart rate activity
45-120 minutes of elevated heart rate activity
2+ hours of elevated heart rate activity
Lead with fat source quality, not just quantity — swapping saturated for unsaturated fat sources delivers cardiovascular benefit independent of total gram count.
Don't cut fat below 20% of calories; below that threshold, fat-soluble vitamin absorption and hormone production suffer.
Read nutrition labels for trans fat — "0g trans fat" can legally appear while the product still contains up to 0.49g per serving, so scan the ingredients for "partially hydrogenated oil."
Use olive oil as your default cooking fat; it's the most researched unsaturated fat source with the best evidence base for cardiovascular health.
If you're keto, weight your fat intake toward avocado, olive oil, nuts, and fatty fish rather than bacon and butter — even high total fat can be heart-healthy if the sources are right.
Track your fat intake for 2–3 weeks before drawing conclusions about whether your targets are realistic; fat-rich foods are easy to under-log because they're often condiments and cooking oils.
The USDA AMDR recommends 20–35% of daily calories from fat, which equals 44–78g per day on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your specific gram target depends on total calorie needs and goal — use the calculator for a personalized figure.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend keeping saturated fat under 10% of daily calories. On a 2,000-calorie diet, that's about 22g of saturated fat per day. People with high LDL cholesterol may benefit from reducing further under their physician's guidance.
Saturated fats (solid at room temperature: butter, lard, coconut oil, fatty meat) raise LDL cholesterol in most people. Unsaturated fats (liquid at room temperature: olive oil, canola oil, nuts, fish) are associated with improved lipid profiles and reduced inflammation.
Fat isn't inherently fattening — excess calories from any source cause weight gain. Fat is calorie-dense (9 kcal/g), so high-fat foods can add calories quickly, but a diet at the lower end of the fat AMDR (20–25%) works well for weight loss when total calories are controlled.
Keto fat intake is typically 60–75% of total calories — roughly 133–167g per day on a 2,000-calorie diet. Prioritize unsaturated sources where possible even at those high totals to support cardiovascular health alongside metabolic goals.
Calorie-for-calorie, yes — 9 kcal per gram regardless of source. Metabolically, no: omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects, and saturated fat affects LDL differently than monounsaturated fat. Both quantity and quality matter.
If you have high LDL cholesterol, reducing saturated fat intake is typically the dietary fat priority. Replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat (not refined carbohydrates) is the most consistently effective dietary change for improving LDL. Discuss specific targets with your physician.
The FDA determined that partially hydrogenated oils are no longer "generally recognized as safe" and effectively banned artificial trans fats from the US food supply. Trace amounts may still appear in some products at under 0.5g per serving.
Brief disclaimer: This calculator provides educational fat intake estimates based on TDEE and USDA AMDR ranges. Results are starting points for nutrition planning, not clinical prescriptions. Individuals with cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, or other metabolic conditions should consult a physician or registered dietitian before making significant dietary fat changes. Saturated fat limits and unsaturated fat targets reflect current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations.