The body needs some fat as it cannot produce all the types of fat that are essential to us such as the omega-3 and omega-6 fats, so it’s important not to eliminate fat completely from our diets. Fats are also a good source of the fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K). This food group should form around 10 per cent of our daily diet. We should be able to get most of the fat we need from a healthy, balanced diet. Foods like meat, dairy and cooking oils are all sources.

Fat is very high in energy, which is why an overly fatty diet may lead to weight gain if it isn’t matched by increases in physical activity - gram for gram, fat provides more calories than any other nutrient. There are three main groups of fat: monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, polyunsaturated fats like sunflower oil and omega-3 fats, and saturated fats found mainly in animal products like red meat and dairy. A diet high in saturated fat is also bad for the heart and arteries as it helps raise blood cholesterol levels, so try to select foods which are lower in saturated fats.

For more information on fats see the FSA website or www.nutrition.org