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Home arrow Nutrition arrow Keto Diet arrow How Much Fat Should I Eat on Keto? Crunching the Numbers

How Much Fat Should I Eat on Keto? Crunching the Numbers

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Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
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Fact checked by Edna Skopljak, MD
Last update: October 5, 2023
4 min read 649 Views 0 Comments
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The ketogenic diet comprises minimum carbs, moderate protein, and a lot of fats. Discover the perfect macronutrient ratio for the best results with this high-fat diet and why monitoring your dietary fat intake is so important.

how much fat should i eat on keto

The defining feature of keto is its very low carbohydrate diet. It’s all about carbs and reducing your intake to switch your body’s fat-burning response. But as you devote your time to watching carbs, it’s easy to forget about another essential macronutrient—fat.

Fat is a powerful part of ketogenic diets. Eating too much fat or not getting enough can make or break your keto journey, from stalling weight loss to excessive fatigue. So, how much fat do you need, and how can you make sure you get enough?

This article tells it all, so keep reading.

How Much Fat Should I Eat on Keto? More Than You Think

A ketogenic diet is made up mostly of dietary fat. You’re looking at approximately 70-80% of your daily caloric intake, with the remaining calories coming from 20-25% protein and 5-10% carbs. For a 2000-calorie diet, the fat content is equal to around 165 grams of fat daily.

Eating high fat is a requisite of the ketogenic diet, regardless of the keto diet type you follow. However, the recommended daily intake does vary slightly between methods. Still, you can adjust your keto diet to match your personal goals and dietary needs.

You can see the fat percentages below to give you an idea of what to expect from your chosen keto diet. Here are some popular types:

  • Standard Ketogenic Diet: 70-80%
  • Targeted Ketogenic Diet: 65-70%
  • Cyclical Ketogenic Diet: 70%
  • High-Protein Ketogenic Diet: 60-65%
  • Traditional Ketogenic Diet: 80%
  • Lazy Keto Diet: The lazy keto diet restricts carbs but doesn’t track fat intake

Can you have too much fat on keto?

While fat is your friend on keto, it is possible to consume too much. Fat has more calories than carbohydrates and protein. If you overconsume it, you might exceed your calorie budget and take in more calories than you burn, which could result in weight gain.

Additionally, if you fill up on too many high-fat foods, you might struggle to fit enough protein and carbs into your meals. A lack of protein can result in loss of muscle mass, while too few carbs might worsen keto flu symptoms, like extreme fatigue, headaches, and weakness.

The correct macros ratio will help you get the most out of the low-carb diet and reach your desired body weight.

Keto Diet and Fat Intake: Why Is It Important to Keep Track?

Tracking your macros assures you’re giving your body what it needs to maintain blood ketone levels and stay in the metabolic state of ketosis. Without keeping track, it becomes easy to miss out on vital healthy fats that your liver breaks down to produce ketone bodies.

The way that the ketogenic diet works is that fat becomes your primary energy source. The ketone bodies become your body and your brain’s main energy supply, and your system switches to burning fat for fuel, tapping into your own fat stores for energy.

Ultimately, your body needs fat to thrive in ketosis. If you don’t eat enough fat on keto, you will face exhaustion, low energy, muscle aches, hunger pangs, and intense carb cravings as you try to function without enough calories.

Tracking will also let you spot if you’re overeating fat. Failing to count macros means you might eat more calories than you need, which is a common reason why you might be in ketosis but failing to lose weight. You may need to cut back to start burning body fat stores.

Furthermore, there’s the risk that you will exceed your daily carb intake. Eating more than 50 grams of carbs will end the ketosis state and stall your weight loss progress. Precise calculations produce better results for those who want to lose weight and body fat.

It’s easy to track the amount of fat you eat with keto apps designed specifically for the keto diet. You can also monitor weight loss and speed up weight reduction with keto-friendly recipes and workout plans.

Best Healthy Fat Foods to Eat on Keto

You should prioritize healthy fats (mono and polyunsaturated fats) on the keto diet. Consuming a lot of trans and saturated fat will not benefit your health in the long term. These fats can raise LDL cholesterol levels and heighten your heart disease risk when eaten in excess.

Healthy fats, on the other hand, are good for your heart and can lower disease risk. Fill your keto diet with whole foods, like coconut oil, macadamia nuts, nut butters, seeds, and fatty fish for the most health benefits. These foods are rich in essential fatty acids and other nutrients.

The best healthy fat sources are also low-carb. That means you can eat plenty of them and meet your fat requirements without accidentally overdoing it on the carb front.

In the meantime, limit processed foods, including processed meats, fried food, baked goods, and margarine, that put your health at risk and don’t support your weight loss journey.

The table below shows some of the best good fats for keto and how many grams they contain per 100 grams. You can use this as a guide when meal planning.

FoodFat per 100g
Avocado14.7g
Avocado oil100g
Coconut33.5g
Coconut oil99.1g
Almonds57.8g
Chia seeds30.7g
Blue cheese28.7g
Olive oil100g
Salmon4.4g
Whole eggs9.51g

What Does 30 Grams of Fat Look Like?

You need many grams of fat to fuel your ketogenic diet, but it can be tough to imagine what your diet looks like in terms of meals. Below, you can see what 30 fat grams looks like in food form to give you an idea of what to expect when you begin creating your meal plan.

What Does 30 Grams of Fat Look Like in Food
Health Reporter edit

FAQs

How many grams of fat per day should you eat on keto?

Based on a 2000-calorie diet and the standard keto caloric intake, the amount of fat you eat loosely translates to about 165 grams of fat. However, the exact numbers don’t work for every keto dieter, as requirements vary from person to person.

Is 100g of fat too much on keto?

100g is not too much fat for keto, as most people following the low-carb diet consume anywhere from 120 to 165 grams daily. You can calculate how many grams of fat you need based on your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level.

What happens if you don’t eat enough fat on keto?

When following the keto diet, dietary fat is crucial. You will feel tired, irritable, and continuously hungry if you fail to eat enough fat. This is because you’re no longer providing your body with energy from carbs, so your body needs plenty of fat to function.

A Word From a Nutritionist

Low-carb diets like the keto diet are a fantastic way to boost weight loss, burn body fat, increase good cholesterol, and decrease blood sugar and insulin levels. Remember that you must eat many healthy fats like avocado, almond butter, and oily fish to power your journey.

Keeping track of the fat you consume on the keto diet is essential. It ensures you hit your macros targets and continue losing weight at a steady pace while mitigating hunger and low energy levels. You’ll also find the correct balance between net carbs, fat, and protein.

You might be excited to lose weight, but low-carb and high-fat diets are not for everyone. Talk to your doctor before starting the keto diet, as it might not suit your current health. They might recommend an alternative to the keto diet that better matches your needs.

Conclusion

Eating fat is paramount for a ketogenic diet, alongside a small number of carbs and a moderate amount of protein. Each macronutrient has its role as your body transitions to an alternative way of burning energy, swapping glucose for fat.

You can customize your keto meal plan to suit your needs based on your age, current weight, and physical activity level. Try the keto calculator to discover your ideal fat percentage.

Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
Edibel Quintero is a medical doctor who graduated in 2013 from the University of Zulia and has been working in her profession since then. She specializes in obesity and nutrition, physical rehabilitation, sports massage and post-operative rehabilitation. Edibel’s goal is to help people live healthier lives by educating them about food, exercise, mental wellness and other lifestyle choices that can improve their quality of life.
The article was fact checked by Edna Skopljak, MD
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HR_author_photo_Edibel
Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
HR_author_photo_Edna
Fact checked by Edna Skopljak, MD
Last update: October 5, 2023
4 min read 649 Views 0 Comments
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