Fats, or lipids, furnish us with twice as much energy for our bodies than that of protein or carbohydrate. Fat is needed in our daily diet for the correct usage of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K.

Fat insulates our bodies giving us protection from sudden changes in temperature and at the same time protects the vital organs of the body against damage.

The average Australian consumes around 40 per cent of their total calorie intake in the form of fat. Fat is important in the diet because it gives the diet staying qualities as fat is absorbed in the body at a much slower rate than that of carbohydrate or protein. This is very important because it makes the meal satisfying, so, by having a little fat in our diets the feeling of hunger will be delayed.

There are two types of substances that give fat different flavours and textures. They are known as fatty acids, either saturated (which come mainly from animal sources) or unsaturated, including polyunsaturated fatty acids (which come from the vegetable kingdom) and are found in foods such as nuts, vegetables, and seeds’. There are three essential fatty acids. They are linolenic, arachidonic, and linoleic. All are very important and because they cannot be manufactured in our bodies they must become an integral part of our daily diet.

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