What Food Do Fats and Oils Come Under? Your Guide to Dietary Fat Sources

December 29, 2025 •

3 min read

Did you know that fats and oils are essential macronutrients that your body needs to function, providing energy and helping to absorb fat-soluble vitamins? Understanding what food do fats and oils come under is key to building a balanced diet focused on the healthiest sources for your body.

Quick Summary

Fats and oils, vital for energy and vitamin absorption, are distributed across many food categories, including animal products, nuts, seeds, avocados, and various vegetable oils.

Key Points

Not a Single Food Group: Fats and oils are not a single food group in modern nutritional guidelines; they are a nutrient found in many different foods.
Prioritize Unsaturated Fats: Emphasize healthy, unsaturated fats from sources like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and oily fish to support heart health.
Limit Saturated and Trans Fats: Minimize intake of unhealthy saturated fats from fatty meats and butter, and avoid trans fats found in processed foods.
Essential for Health: Fats provide energy, absorb vital vitamins (A, D, E, K), and support cell growth and hormone production.
Cooking Matters: Choose the right oil for your cooking method, favoring refined oils with high smoke points for frying and extra virgin olive oil for low-heat uses.
Read Labels: Always check food labels for the fat content, particularly noting the presence of 'partially hydrogenated oils,' which indicate trans fats.

Understanding Fats and Oils in Modern Nutrition

In older food guides, such as the food pyramid, fats and oils were often represented as a small, separate category at the very top, indicating they should be consumed sparingly. However, modern nutritional science recognizes that not all fats are created equal, and the focus has shifted from limiting total fat intake to emphasizing healthier types. Therefore, fats and oils are not considered a single food group in modern dietary guidelines like the USDA's MyPlate. Instead, they are nutrients found in varying amounts across almost all food categories. The key is understanding which foods contain the beneficial, or unsaturated, fats and which contain the less healthy, or saturated and trans, fats.

The Main Types of Dietary Fats

Dietary fats are broadly classified into four types, each with different effects on health.

Healthy Fats: Unsaturated Fats

These fats are typically liquid at room temperature and are beneficial for heart health. Replacing saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats can help lower bad (LDL) cholesterol and support overall health.

Monounsaturated Fats (MUFAs):
- Avocados
- Olive oil and olives
- Canola oil
- Nuts, such as almonds, peanuts, pecans, and hazelnuts
- Nut butters
Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs):
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds. The body cannot produce these, so they must be obtained from food.
- Omega-6 Fatty Acids: Sunflower, corn, and soybean oils, as well as nuts like walnuts and almonds.

Less Healthy Fats: Saturated and Trans Fats

These fats can increase your risk of heart disease by raising bad (LDL) cholesterol levels.

Saturated Fats:
- Fatty cuts of red meat, bacon, and sausages
- Full-fat dairy products, including butter, cheese, and cream
- Coconut oil and palm oil
- Baked goods like cakes, pastries, and biscuits
Trans Fats:
- Often listed as 'partially hydrogenated oils' on food labels.
- Found in some fried fast foods, processed snacks, and stick margarine.
- Naturally occur in small amounts in meat and dairy but the artificial form is of greater concern.

The Function of Fats and Oils in the Body

Energy Supply: Fats are a dense source of energy, providing 9 calories per gram, more than double that of carbohydrates or protein.
Vitamin Absorption: They are crucial for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K).
Organ Protection: Fats help insulate and protect vital organs.
Cell Function: They play a key role in supporting cell growth and hormone production.

A Comparison of Fat and Oil Types


Feature	Healthy Unsaturated Fats	Less Healthy Saturated/Trans Fats
Common Sources	Plant-based oils (olive, canola), avocados, nuts, seeds, oily fish	Animal products (butter, fatty meats), tropical oils (coconut, palm), processed foods
State at Room Temp	Typically liquid	Typically solid
Health Impact	Can lower bad (LDL) cholesterol and support heart health	Can raise bad (LDL) cholesterol and increase heart disease risk
Omega Fatty Acids	Excellent source of essential omega-3s and omega-6s	Do not provide essential omega fatty acids

Cooking with Different Oils

Choosing the right oil for cooking depends on the temperature needed, as oils have different smoke points.

High-Heat Cooking (Frying): Refined oils like vegetable, canola, and avocado oil are suitable due to their high smoke points.
Medium-Heat Cooking (Sautéing): Pure olive oil, refined sesame, and peanut oils work well.
Low-Heat Cooking or Dressings: Extra virgin olive oil is best for dressings and low-heat applications, where its flavor is preserved.

Making Healthy Fat Choices

Making conscious decisions about your fat intake can have a significant impact on your overall health.

Here are some practical tips:

Substitute butter with olive oil when cooking.
Snack on nuts and seeds instead of processed cookies or chips.
Include oily fish like salmon or mackerel in your diet at least twice a week.
Add avocado to salads, sandwiches, and grain bowls.
Check food labels for 'partially hydrogenated oils' and avoid products containing them.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the question of what food fats and oils come under is best answered by understanding that they are not a monolithic food group, but rather a vital nutrient dispersed throughout our diet. By prioritizing foods rich in healthy unsaturated fats and limiting sources of saturated and trans fats, you can support heart health and leverage the many benefits dietary fats provide. Moderation is key, even with healthy fats, as they are calorie-dense. Making informed choices is the most effective strategy for a balanced and nutritious diet, as recommended by major health organizations. For more comprehensive information, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health offers extensive resources on fat and cholesterol.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, in modern nutritional guidelines, fats and oils are not categorized as a single food group. They are viewed as a nutrient present in many different food groups, with an emphasis on choosing healthier types.

The primary difference is their state at room temperature. Fats are solid (like butter or lard), while oils are liquid (like olive or vegetable oil).

Unsaturated fats, specifically monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, are considered the healthiest. They are found in foods like avocados, nuts, seeds, and oily fish.

Saturated and trans fats are considered less healthy because they can raise bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

No, fat is essential for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Your body needs fat to properly utilize these vitamins.

For high-heat cooking, you should use refined oils with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil.

You can add more healthy fats by using olive oil for dressings and cooking, snacking on nuts and seeds, and incorporating oily fish like salmon into your weekly meals.

Most nuts and seeds are excellent sources of healthy unsaturated fats. However, it's important to remember that all fats are calorie-dense, so they should still be consumed in moderation.