Know your fats!

Fats or oils are made up of fatty acids. Despite its bad image, fat has many important functions in our body. Fat stores and provide energy when food intake is limited, aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamin A, D, E and K), surrounding fats protect vital organs (like kidney and gut) against physical shock and fats beneath the skin help preserve body heat. Fat is also building blocks for hormones and cell membranes.
Difference in calories content between low fat and regular fat foods
Dietary fat provides 9 kcal/g which is more than twice the calories provided by either carbohydrate or protein. Therefore, it is a major determinant of the energy density of a particular food.
Fat-free or reduced fat | Regular | ||
*Calories (kcal) | *Calories (kcal) | ||
Milk powder, skim, 1 tablespoon | 26 | Milk powder, instant, full cream, 1 tablespoon |
33 |
Milk, UHT, low fat, recombined, 257ml | 131 | Milk, UHT, full cream, recombined, 256ml | 187 |
Coffee, latte, with low fat milk and sugar, 225g | 109 | Coffee, latte, with full cream milk and sugar, 233g |
144 |
Reduced-fat peanut butter, 2 tablespoon | 187 | Regular peanut butter, 2 tablespoon | 191 |
*Source:
http://www.nutriweb.org.my
http://www.hpb.gov.sg
http://www.fda.gov/fdac