Understanding and Achieving Your Macros: How do you get so much fat on keto?

October 28, 2025 •

5 min read

For most people on a standard ketogenic diet, 70% to 80% of daily calories come from fat to fuel the body in a state of ketosis. For those new to the eating plan, figuring out how to get so much fat on keto can be a significant challenge, but incorporating a variety of high-fat foods and cooking techniques makes it achievable and delicious.

Quick Summary

This guide provides practical strategies for increasing fat intake on a ketogenic diet. It details specific high-fat foods and ways to incorporate them into meals and snacks to help meet the necessary macronutrient ratios for ketosis. Learn about adding healthy fats, using full-fat dairy, and leveraging cooking techniques to easily boost your daily fat consumption.

Key Points

Embrace Healthy Fats: Prioritize whole, unprocessed sources like avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds over processed options to meet your daily fat goals.
Use Fat in Cooking: Increase fat intake easily by cooking vegetables and proteins with liberal amounts of butter, coconut oil, or lard.
Choose Full-Fat Dairy: Opt for full-fat cheeses, creams, and yogurts instead of low-fat versions, which often have higher carb counts.
Snack Strategically: Replace carb-heavy snacks with high-fat, low-carb options like hard-boiled eggs, olives, and a handful of keto-friendly nuts.
Create Fat Bombs: Prepare easy, bite-sized snacks, or 'fat bombs,' using ingredients like coconut oil, nut butter, and cocoa to satisfy cravings and boost fat intake.
Power Up Drinks: Blend MCT oil, butter, or heavy cream into your coffee or tea for a quick, concentrated fat boost.
Know Your Macros: Calculate your personal fat, protein, and carb needs to ensure you are consuming the right amounts for sustained ketosis and weight loss.

The Importance of High Fat Intake on Keto

At its core, the ketogenic diet is a metabolic strategy that forces the body to switch its primary fuel source from glucose (sugar) to fat. When carbohydrate intake is drastically reduced, the liver produces ketones from fat, which then serve as an energy source, especially for the brain. To facilitate this metabolic shift and maintain it, a very high percentage of daily calories must come from fat. For many, this is a significant dietary change, and the idea of consuming so much fat can be intimidating. However, with the right knowledge, it's a simple process of prioritizing specific foods and using smart cooking methods.

Why Fat is Fuel, Not Foe

When transitioning to a ketogenic diet, it's common for people to under-eat fat while simultaneously restricting carbohydrates. This can lead to a state of low energy, fatigue, and intense cravings, which is often mistaken for the "keto flu". Sufficient fat intake is critical for several reasons:

Energy Production: Without enough fat, your body lacks the fuel to produce ketones efficiently, preventing it from reaching a state of nutritional ketosis.
Satiety: Fat is more satiating than carbohydrates, helping to reduce hunger and control appetite. This prevents overeating and snacking, which is essential for successful weight management on a keto diet.
Nutrient Absorption: Fat is necessary for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and the proper functioning of the gallbladder.

A Strategic Approach to Getting More Fat

Instead of simply adding butter to everything, a strategic approach involves focusing on incorporating a variety of whole, high-fat foods into every meal and snack. The following are proven methods for increasing your fat intake and staying in ketosis.

High-Fat Food Sources to Prioritize

To meet your fat goals, stock your kitchen with these keto-friendly, high-fat foods:

Oils and Fats

Olive Oil: Excellent for salad dressings, sauces, and drizzling over cooked vegetables.
Avocado Oil: A versatile oil with a high smoke point, suitable for high-heat cooking.
Coconut Oil: Rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which can promote ketone production.
Butter and Ghee: Grass-fed varieties are a staple for cooking and adding richness to meals.
Lard and Tallow: Traditional animal fats that are great for roasting and frying.

High-Fat Proteins and Dairy

Fatty Fish: Salmon, mackerel, and sardines are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Fatty Cuts of Meat: Opt for cuts like ribeye steak, chicken thighs with the skin, and ground beef with a higher fat percentage.
Full-Fat Dairy: Include heavy cream, full-fat cheeses (cheddar, brie, mozzarella), sour cream, and full-fat Greek yogurt in your diet.

Nuts, Seeds, and Fruits

Nuts and Nut Butters: Macadamia nuts, pecans, and walnuts are high in fat and low in carbs. Look for natural nut butters without added sugar.
Seeds: Chia seeds, flaxseeds, and hemp seeds are easy to add to smoothies, puddings, or salads.
Avocados: A nutrient-dense fruit packed with healthy fats that can be added to salads, smoothies, or eaten on its own.
Olives: A flavorful, high-fat snack or salad topping.

Practical Strategies to Boost Fat Intake

Add fats to drinks: The trend of adding fats to hot beverages, known as "bulletproof" coffee or tea, is a simple way to increase fat intake. Blend in butter, coconut oil, or MCT oil.
Make fat bombs: These are small, dense, high-fat snacks designed to keep you satiated between meals. They can be sweet, made with cocoa powder and coconut oil, or savory, like cheese and bacon bites.
Use fat for cooking: Don't shy away from cooking with healthy fats. Sauté vegetables in butter or olive oil, and roast meats and vegetables in tallow or lard to enhance flavor and fat content.
Dressings and sauces: Create your own salad dressings and sauces using olive oil, avocado oil, and full-fat mayonnaise. These can significantly increase the fat content of a meal without adding many carbs.
Choose full-fat versions: Always opt for full-fat versions of dairy products. Manufacturers often add sugar to low-fat products to compensate for flavor.

Comparison of Common Keto Fat Sources


Fat Source	Type of Fat	Best Uses	Notes
Avocado Oil	Monounsaturated	High-heat cooking, frying	High smoke point, neutral flavor.
Olive Oil	Monounsaturated	Dressings, low-heat cooking	Rich in antioxidants, best drizzled raw.
Coconut Oil	Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)	High-heat cooking, "bulletproof" drinks	Promotes ketone production.
Butter / Ghee	Saturated	Sautéing, adding to drinks	Grass-fed offers superior nutrient profile.
Fatty Fish	Omega-3 Polyunsaturated	Main meals (salmon, mackerel)	Supports brain and heart health.
Avocado	Monounsaturated	Salads, smoothies, guacamole	Provides fiber and potassium.
Macadamia Nuts	Monounsaturated	Snacking, keto baking	Very high fat, low carb.

Potential Challenges and What to Watch For

While the keto diet encourages high fat intake, it's not a free-for-all. Consuming too much overall can still lead to a weight-loss plateau or weight gain, as excess calories, even from fat, can prevent the body from burning its own fat stores. Signs of too much fat can include digestive issues like floating stools, bloating, and discomfort. It's also important to focus on healthy fats from whole, unprocessed foods rather than relying on unhealthy sources like fried foods or processed meats. Monitoring your macros and listening to your body's signals of satiety are key to finding the right balance for your individual needs.

Conclusion

Achieving and maintaining a high fat intake is the cornerstone of a successful ketogenic diet. It ensures your body has the necessary fuel to produce ketones for energy, keeps you feeling full and satisfied, and aids in the absorption of crucial nutrients. By prioritizing whole, healthy fats from diverse sources—like avocados, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, and quality oils—and implementing strategic cooking and snacking techniques, you can effectively meet your fat macro goals. For more in-depth nutritional guidance and personalized macro calculations, consider consulting a healthcare professional or exploring reliable online tools like those from Diet Doctor or Dr. Berg. Navigating a high-fat diet requires a shift in perspective, but with the right approach, it becomes a natural and delicious part of your nutrition plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

A standard ketogenic diet typically consists of 70% to 80% of calories from fat, 15% to 20% from protein, and only 5% to 10% from carbohydrates.

If you don't consume enough fat on keto, your body may struggle to enter or maintain ketosis, leading to fatigue, increased hunger, and potentially hindering weight loss progress.

No, it is important to focus on healthy, whole-food sources of fat like those found in avocados, olive oil, and nuts while avoiding artificial trans fats found in many processed foods.

You can add more fat by using healthy oils in cooking, topping salads with high-fat dressings, including avocados with meals, or blending MCT oil into your drinks.

Good high-fat snack ideas include hard-boiled eggs, cheese cubes, olives, macadamia nuts, seeds, and pre-made fat bombs.

Yes, while fat is essential, consuming excessive amounts of calories, even from fat, can lead to a weight-loss plateau or digestive issues. You must balance your fat intake with your overall calorie goals.

For most people, consuming healthy, high-fat foods as part of a well-formulated ketogenic diet is safe. However, it's crucial to consult a healthcare professional, especially if you have underlying medical conditions or concerns about cholesterol.