Oils & Fats

Vegetable oils can be made using everything from corn kernels to nuts and seeds. Most of the calories in vegetable oils comes from fats, but the nutrition facts will show that some vegetable oils also contain vital nutrients. If you view the nutrition label for vegetable oils you will find that they are very calorie-dense and that the nutritional value varies greatly depending on the food used to create the oil. Refer to the calorie chart below to determine the calories and nutritional information for various vegetable oils.

Animal fats are a type of natural fat derived from animals and animal products (like milk) and they include things like lard, tallow, ghee, and butter. The nutrition facts for animal fats show that foods like butter and lard are primarily composed of saturated fat. Animal fat is typically used for cooking and, though it is higher in saturated fats and calories than many so-called “healthy” cooking oils like olive oil, that doesn’t mean that these foods can’t be healthy. Foods in the animal fat category are rich in flavor but because they contain a high number of calories and saturated fat, they are often deemed “unhealthy.” In reality, however, animal fats have many health benefits and surprisingly higher nutritional value than many plant-based fats. In regard to specific nutrition facts, you may need to check the nutrition labels for individual products to determine nutritional information such as calories and saturated fat content.