Reducing dietary fat is a major dietary goal for many consumers. The development and use of a wide variety of ingredients known as fat replacers are making many of these light products possible. Fat, like protein and carbohydrate, is a principal and essential component of the diet. Fat is the body's most concentrated source of energy.
Some dietary fat is vital to enable the body to function properly.
Fatty acids are separated by their structure as either saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. These include the fats in whole milk, cream, cheese, butter, meat and poultry. Saturated fats also can be found in large amounts in some vegetable products, such as cocoa butter, coconut oil and palm oil. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature. Monounsaturated fats are found primarily in plants, but also are found in animals.