High Fat Foods: USDA Table of Foods High in Fat and Fat Types

High fat foods come from six food groups: oils and spreads, nuts and seeds, avocados and olives, fatty fish, dairy and eggs, and fatty meats, plus chocolate and coconut. What separates them is the type of fat. In USDA data, a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter carry similar total fat, but butter has almost four times the saturated fat. Below is a USDA table grouped by food group, not ranked, with what the Dietary Guidelines and FDA say about each fat type.

Peptide Labs does not sell foods high in fat or fat products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What makes high fat foods different from each other

Fatty acids fall into four groups. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and dominate butter, cheese, fatty meat, coconut and palm oil. Monounsaturated fats lead in olive oil, canola oil, avocados and most nuts. Polyunsaturated fats lead in walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia, flaxseed and fatty fish, and include the omega-3 and omega-6 families. Trans fats are found naturally in small amounts in milk, butter, cheese and meat, and were made industrially by partially hydrogenating oils.

FDA labeling rules count fat at 9 calories per gram (21 CFR 101.9), and the FDA Daily Values are 78 grams of total fat and 20 grams of saturated fat on a 2,000-calorie reference diet. The Dietary Guidelines 2020-2025 list the National Academies’ Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for adults as 20% to 35% of calories from fat. Like other AMDRs, this describes healthy eating patterns across a population, not a personal target.

Foods high in fat: USDA table by food group

Values come from USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy, with FDC IDs. Percent Daily Value uses the FDA Daily Values of 78 grams for total fat and 20 grams for saturated fat. Mono and poly are grams of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat per serving; USDA does not report these fat types for every food, so the columns do not always add up to the total.

Oils and spreads

Oils are almost pure fat, so the useful comparison is the mix of fat types. Per 100 grams in USDA data, about 73% of the fat in olive oil is monounsaturated; canola oil is 63% monounsaturated and 28% polyunsaturated; butter is 63% saturated; and coconut oil is 83% saturated. Our guides to olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, coconut oil and seed oils cover each one, and our butter versus margarine comparison covers spreads.

Nuts, seeds and nut butters

In USDA data, almonds, walnuts, macadamias, peanuts and cashews get about 70% to 95% of their calories from fat, mostly unsaturated. Macadamias are mainly monounsaturated, while walnuts are mainly polyunsaturated: an ounce of walnuts has about 2.6 grams of 18:3 fatty acids, the group that includes the plant omega-3 ALA, and an ounce of chia seeds about 5 grams of ALA. See our walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, flaxseed and peanut butter guides.

Avocados and olives

Avocados and olives are fruits whose calories come mostly from fat. In USDA data, a cup of avocado cubes has about 22 grams of fat, two thirds of it monounsaturated, plus about 10 grams of fiber. Canned olives are packed in brine, so check the sodium line.

Fatty fish

Salmon, sardines and mackerel carry the long-chain omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. In USDA data, 3 ounces of cooked farmed Atlantic salmon have about 0.6 grams of EPA and 1.2 grams of DHA. Our omega-3 guide covers these fats in depth, and our sardines and mackerel guides cover mercury and sodium.

Dairy, eggs and meat

Full-fat dairy and fatty cuts of meat are where most saturated fat sits among whole foods. An ounce of cheddar has about 5 grams of saturated fat in USDA data (27% of the Daily Value), and 3 ounces of broiled 80% lean ground beef about 6 grams. Eggs have less, about 1.6 grams per large egg; our egg guide and our cholesterol foods guide cover the yolk question.

Healthy high fat foods in the Dietary Guidelines

The two most recent editions of the Dietary Guidelines agree on one number and differ in tone. Both keep saturated fat under 10% of calories. The 2020-2025 edition recommends replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats, particularly polyunsaturated fats, and names high-fat meat, full-fat dairy, butter, coconut oil and palm kernel and palm oil as higher in saturated fat. It suggests oils higher in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat, such as canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean and sunflower oil, in place of butter, shortening, coconut or palm oil.

The 2025-2030 edition says healthy fats are plentiful in many whole foods, such as meats, poultry, eggs, omega-3-rich seafood, nuts, seeds, full-fat dairy, olives and avocados. It advises prioritizing oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil, lists butter or beef tallow as other options, and states that more high-quality research is needed on which types of dietary fat support long-term health.

For context on the research, a 2017 American Heart Association presidential advisory (Sacks and colleagues, Circulation) reviewed randomized trials and reported about 30% fewer cardiovascular events when saturated fat was replaced with polyunsaturated vegetable oil, but no such benefit when it was replaced with refined carbohydrates and sugars. That is a finding about swaps in trial diets, not a promise for any single food.

Trans fat: what FDA changed

Trans fat is the one fat type both editions want as low as possible. According to FDA, in 2015 the agency determined that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), then the major source of artificial trans fat, are no longer generally recognized as safe. For most uses, manufacturers could not add PHOs to foods after June 18, 2018, and FDA extended the final compliance date to January 1, 2021. Small amounts of trans fat still occur naturally in milk, butter, cheese and meat; USDA lists about half a gram per tablespoon of butter. FDA requires trans fat on the Nutrition Facts label because it raises LDL cholesterol.

Reading fat on a Nutrition Facts label

• Total Fat with its percent Daily Value (78 grams = 100%).
• Saturated Fat with its percent Daily Value (20 grams = 100%).
• Trans Fat, which has no Daily Value; check the ingredient list for partially hydrogenated oil in older or imported products.

For the carbohydrate side of the label, see our companion guide to foods high in carbs. For adding energy, see our calorie-dense foods guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; if you have diabetes, heart disease or another health condition, ask a healthcare provider or registered dietitian how these foods fit your own eating pattern. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: High Carb Foods: USDA Table of Foods High in Carbs by Group, High Calorie Foods: USDA List of Healthy, Calorie Dense Choices, Olive Oil Benefits: Research, Nutrition and Types of Olive Oil.