Keto Diet: How Much Fat To Consume Daily?

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that promotes weight loss, improves metabolic health, and enhances cognitive function. To achieve these benefits, it is crucial to consume an adequate amount of fat, which can vary depending on individual factors such as age, gender, activity level, and health goals. On a standard ketogenic diet, fat typically accounts for about 60% to 80% of total daily calorie intake. This means that an individual consuming 2000 calories per day should aim for about 122 to 178 grams of fat. This amount may seem high compared to conventional dietary recommendations, but it is essential for maintaining ketosis and providing sustained energy. It is recommended to focus on consuming healthy fats from minimally processed whole food sources, such as avocados, extra virgin olive oil, and fatty fish.

The importance of fat on the keto diet

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. It is designed to shift the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. Dietary fat is therefore the cornerstone of the keto diet.

When given the choice, the body will always opt to burn glucose (from carbs and sugar) for energy. However, when you follow a low-carb diet like keto, you deplete your body's stored glucose (glycogen). Once your body's glycogen stores are used up, it starts burning body fat instead. Your fat stores are transformed into ketone bodies in the liver, raising your blood ketone levels and putting you in a ketogenic state.

On the keto diet, 55-80% of your daily calories should come from fat. This is a much higher proportion than is recommended on other low-carb diets, such as Atkins or the Mediterranean diet. The rest of your calories should come from protein (20-25%) and carbohydrates (5-10%).

It is important to eat healthy fats on the keto diet. Good sources of fat include:

• Oily fish (e.g. salmon, tuna, anchovies)
• Nuts (e.g. walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts)
• Seeds (e.g. flax seeds, pumpkin seeds)
• Avocados and avocado oil
• Olives and olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Animal fats (e.g. lard, bacon fat, butter, ghee)
• Full-fat, organic dairy (e.g. cheese, cream, yoghurt)

It is recommended that you avoid artificial trans fats, processed meats, and fried foods on the keto diet. These are often rich in trans fats and other additives that may be harmful to health.

How much fat is enough on a high-fat diet?

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that aims to shift the body's primary fuel source from carbohydrates to fat. This is achieved by significantly reducing carbohydrate intake and increasing the consumption of healthy fats, proteins, and vegetables. The specific amount of fat required on a keto diet depends on various factors, including age, gender, activity level, and individual health goals. However, there are some general guidelines to help people understand how much fat they need to consume to achieve and maintain ketosis.

Macronutrient Distribution

A standard ketogenic diet typically follows a macronutrient distribution of around 60% to 80% of calories from fat, 20% to 25% from protein, and 5% to 10% from carbohydrates. For someone consuming 2,000 calories per day, this translates to a daily fat intake of about 120 grams to 180 grams.

Benefits of Healthy Fats

Incorporating healthy fats into a ketogenic diet is crucial, and there are several benefits associated with doing so. Firstly, fats provide a steady source of energy, helping to maintain consistent energy levels throughout the day. Secondly, increasing fat intake can aid in weight loss and weight management. Fat is satiating, keeping people fuller for longer and reducing the urge to snack between meals.

Additionally, healthy fats support brain health. Approximately 60% of the human brain is composed of fat, including cholesterol and myelin, which are essential for cognitive processing and maintaining the brain's structural integrity.

Sources of Healthy Fats

Avocados, extra virgin olive oil, fatty fish such as salmon and sardines, eggs, coconut oil, MCT oil, butter, and ghee are all excellent sources of healthy fats that can be easily incorporated into a ketogenic diet.

Risks of Not Consuming Enough Fat

If fat intake is too low on a keto diet, it can become challenging to reach or maintain ketosis. This is because the body may struggle to produce enough ketones to fuel its cells, leading to symptoms such as fatigue and brain fog, commonly known as the "keto flu."

Additionally, without sufficient fat intake, the body may start breaking down muscle protein for fuel, which can be problematic, especially for individuals with a lean body composition and lower body fat stores.

Customizing Fat Intake

While the above guidelines provide a good starting point, it is essential to customize fat intake based on individual needs. Using a keto macro calculator can help adjust macro guidelines according to age, body weight, BMI, and physical activity level. This will provide a more precise understanding of the required fat intake in grams or percentages of total calorie intake.

Customising your personal macro goals on keto

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. The goal is to restrict your carb intake while consuming plenty of healthy fats, allowing your body to enter a fat-burning state called ketosis.

On keto, roughly 5-10% of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates, 20-25% from protein, and the remaining calories (70-80%) from fat. However, these percentages are just a guideline and can be customised to fit your specific needs.

Calculating Your Macros

To calculate your personal macro goals, you can use an online keto macro calculator. These calculators take into account various factors, including your age, body weight, BMI, and physical activity level.

First, you need to find out your daily caloric intake using an online calculator. Then, you can input the percentages mentioned above to determine the number of grams of carbs, protein, and fat you need each day.

For example, if you consume 2,000 calories per day, a fat intake of 70-80% would be around 144-177 grams of fat.

Keto-Friendly Foods

When following a keto meal plan, you'll want to include plenty of whole foods, such as:

• Healthy fats and oils (coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil)
• Nuts and seeds (macadamia nuts, pecans, chia seeds, flax seeds, almonds)
• Fatty fish (salmon, scallops, lobster)
• Low-sugar fruits (avocados, raspberries, blueberries)
• Animal fats (lard, bacon fat, butter, ghee)
• Full-fat, organic dairy (blue cheese, cheddar cheese, heavy cream)
• Grass-fed meat (pork chops, ground beef, goat, chicken)
• Green, leafy vegetables (kale, arugula, spinach)
• Other low-carb vegetables (bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli)

Foods to Avoid on Keto

When following a keto diet, it's best to eliminate starchy vegetables, processed foods, and high-carb or high-sugar products. This includes:

• Starchy vegetables (white potatoes, carrots, corn, sweet potatoes)
• All grains (rice, wheat, cereals, bread, tortillas)
• Legumes (black beans, lentils, soybeans)
• Condiments with added sugar (ketchup, salad dressings, mayonnaise)
• Desserts containing sugar and sweeteners
• Vegetable oils (canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil)
• Artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols

Tracking Your Progress

To ensure you're in ketosis, it's important to track your fat, protein, and carb intake daily. You can also test your ketone levels in your breath, urine, or blood, with urine testing being an easy and affordable method for home use.

How to include healthy fats in a keto diet

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. It is important to eat a variety of healthy fats to successfully reach your health goals. Here are some tips on how to include healthy fats in your keto diet:

• Avocados and avocado oil are an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. They also provide fibre and essential vitamins and minerals. Use avocado oil for cooking or as a salad dressing.
• Oils: In addition to avocado oil, other healthy oils to cook with or dress your food include olive oil, coconut oil, MCT oil, and flaxseed oil.
• Nuts and seeds: Include a variety of nuts such as almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, cashews, and pistachios in your diet. Nut and seed butters, such as sunflower butter and almond butter, are also a great option.
• Fatty fish: Eat oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
• Eggs: Eat whole eggs, as the yolk is rich in B vitamins and antioxidants that support eye health.
• Dairy: Include full-fat, organic, and preferably grass-fed dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, cream, and butter.
• Meat: Choose grass-fed and organic meat where possible. Opt for chicken, turkey, and lean cuts of beef.
• Vegetables: Add healthy fats to low-carb vegetables by using high-fat dressings or dips. Avocado, olive oil, and nut butter are great choices.
• Snacks: Healthy fatty snacks include olives, boiled eggs, nuts, and avocados.
• Drinks: Add healthy fats to hot drinks such as coffee or tea by adding butter or coconut oil.

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

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. Typically, 70-80% of your daily calories should come from fat, 15-20% from protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. However, if you don't eat enough fat on keto, there can be some negative consequences. Here are some of the things that can happen if you don't consume enough fat on a keto diet:

Protein Poisoning

Too much protein and not enough fat can lead to protein poisoning, which has symptoms like nausea, hyperinsulinemia, hyperammonemia, and diarrhea. In extreme cases, it can even be fatal. Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson and his friend once ate only lean meat for a period under observation and experienced these negative symptoms. However, when they added fatty foods back into their diet, their discomfort was alleviated.

Digestive Issues

Not consuming enough fat on keto can lead to digestive problems, such as nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. It takes time for your body to adjust and produce the necessary enzymes and bile to metabolize higher amounts of fat.

Frequent Hunger and Cravings

Fat is satiating and keeps you feeling fuller for longer. If you don't eat enough fat on keto, you may experience frequent hunger and cravings, especially for carbohydrates. This can lead to binge eating and make it challenging to stick to the keto diet.

Nutrient Deficiencies

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins, which means your body needs dietary fat to absorb them properly. These vitamins are crucial for various bodily functions, including hormone signaling, gut health, and immune system regulation. Not getting enough fat can worsen vitamin deficiencies and make it harder to maintain ketosis.

Energy Levels

The keto diet is supposed to boost your energy levels. However, if you're not consuming enough healthy fats, you may experience fatigue and lack the energy boost typically associated with ketosis.

In summary, it's important to consume adequate amounts of healthy fats on a keto diet. Fat is essential for various bodily functions and can help you stay on track with your diet by reducing cravings and keeping you feeling full.

Frequently asked questions