What Does 1 Gram Of Fat Look Like? - Ruth Frechman

Let’s say that you want to lose weight. Is it important to count calories?

What about reading the Nutrition Facts label? Is it helpful?

Is it bad for a food to have 60 grams of fat? I mean, what is a gram of fat? What does it look like?

Fat contains 9 calories a gram. If a food has 60 grams of fat, 540 of the calories come from fat.

Protein contains 4 calories a gram. If a food has 20 grams of protein, 80 of the calories come from protein.

Carbohydrates contain 4 calories a gram. (the same as protein) If a food has 20 grams of carbohydrate, 80 of the calories come from carbohydrate.

If you do the math, it can add up!

Sometimes it helps to visualize the situation with these fun facts:

• One quarter of a pat of butter represents 1 gram of fat, which contains 9 calories. One pat of butter contains 4 grams of fat or 36 calories.
• One quarter of an egg white represents 1 gram of protein, which is 4 calories.
• Two small strawberries represent 1 gram of carbohydrate, which is 4 calories.
• 4 almonds is a combo food. Four almonds contain 1 gram of protein, almost 2.5 grams of fat and 1 gram of carbohydrate.

Straight to the facts: For most people, the more you eat the more you weigh. Whether you are counting calories or grams, eat less than what you are eating to lose weight.

During the weight loss journey, reading the label can be a useful tool for making choices.

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