Nutrient table · IFCT 2017 · ICMR-NIN 2020
Total fat content of Indian foods
Per 100 g, cooking oils, ghee and vanaspati are pure fat at 100 g in IFCT 2017. Among whole foods, walnut leads at 64.3 g, dry coconut at 63.3 g and almond at 58.5 g, followed by sunflower seeds, cashew and sesame. Many vegetables carry as little as 0.1 g. The ICMR-NIN 2020 summary sets no single gram figure for total fat.
What total fat does, and where Indian diets stand
Fat is the most concentrated source of energy in food. It carries the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, supplies essential fatty acids the body cannot make, and gives Indian cooking much of its flavour, from a mustard oil tadka to ghee on hot dal. Some fat is needed every day; the real questions are how much and what kind.
Indian kitchens tend to overshoot through the cooking medium rather than the food itself. Deep-fried snacks, heavy tadkas, reused frying oil and rich restaurant gravies push intake up quickly. The type of fat matters as much as the amount: vanaspati and repeatedly heated oils can carry trans fats, while ghee, coconut oil and palm oil are high in saturated fat.
This table ranks all 257 foods in IFCT 2017 by total fat per 100 g. The first 14 places go to the oils, ghee and vanaspati, all at 100 g. Nuts and oilseeds come next, then a long gap before the oily fish, fatty meats and dairy, and finally the grains, pulses, fruit and vegetables, most of which hold very little fat.
All 257 foods ranked by total fat
Per 100 g of the edible portion, highest first.
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Total fat content of Indian foods. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/nutrients/fat/
The top vegetarian sources of total fat
| Food | Group | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Coconut oil | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Corn oil | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Cotton seed oil | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Ghee | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Groundnut oil | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Mustard oil | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Palm oil | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Rice bran oil | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Safflower oil | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Safflower oil, blended | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Sesame oil (gingelly) | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Soyabean oil | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Sunflower oil | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Vanaspati | Cooking oils and fats | 100 g |
| Walnut | Nuts and oilseeds | 64.3 g |
Total fat requirements for Indians
The ICMR-NIN 2020 summary note on requirements does not list one daily gram figure for total fat, and this page does not invent one. Fat needs depend on total energy intake, and the advice focuses on keeping visible fat moderate and choosing its sources well.
In practice that means measuring cooking oil, using a mix of oils over the month rather than one, keeping ghee and butter to small amounts, avoiding vanaspati and reused frying oil, and getting some fat from whole foods such as nuts, seeds and fish. People with heart disease or high cholesterol should set their fat intake with a doctor or dietitian.
From a table to a plate
Total fat here means all fat combined, saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, per 100 g of raw edible food. It does not tell you which kind, so two foods with similar totals can behave very differently in the body. A tablespoon of oil weighs far less than 100 g, but because oil is pure fat, a few spoons add up fast. For nuts, 100 g is several handfuls, while a sensible snack is closer to one small handful.
- Measure the oil for the day's cooking into a small bowl each morning; it is the simplest way to see how much a family really uses.
- Rotate cooking oils, for example mustard or groundnut oil for some dishes and rice bran or sunflower oil for others, to spread the types of fat.
- Never reuse oil left over from deep frying for fresh cooking, because heating it again and again breaks it down.
- Use ghee for flavour by the teaspoon, on dal or roti, rather than as the main cooking fat.
- Roast, steam, grill or air-fry snacks such as chana, makhana and peanuts instead of deep-frying them.
- Get some fat from whole foods: a small handful of nuts, sesame in chutney, or an oily fish such as sardine or hilsa once a week.
What people ask about total fat
Which Indian food has the most fat?
Cooking oils, ghee and vanaspati are 100 g fat per 100 g in IFCT 2017. Among whole foods, walnut is highest at 64.3 g, then dry coconut at 63.3 g and almond at 58.5 g. Nuts bring protein, fibre and minerals along with their fat, which oils do not.
Is ghee healthier than cooking oil?
Both are pure fat by weight. Ghee is mostly saturated fat, while oils such as mustard, groundnut, rice bran and sunflower carry more unsaturated fat. Small amounts of ghee fit a balanced diet, but it works better as a flavouring than as the only cooking fat.
Which vegetables have the least fat?
Many Indian vegetables carry just 0.1 g of fat per 100 g in IFCT 2017, including cabbage, ash gourd, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, drumstick pods and fresh green peas. The fat in a vegetable dish nearly always comes from the oil it is cooked in.
How much fat should an Indian adult eat a day?
The ICMR-NIN 2020 summary does not give one daily figure for total fat. Needs vary with energy intake and health. For a personal target, especially with diabetes, heart disease or high cholesterol, a dietitian can set the amount and the best mix of fats.
Are nuts fattening because they are high in fat?
Nuts are energy-dense, with almond at 58.5 g and cashew at 45.2 g of fat per 100 g, so large amounts add up. A small handful a day, eaten in place of fried snacks or sweets, fits most diets and brings protein, fibre, vitamin E and minerals with it.
Related reading and tables
Calories (energy) content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Protein content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Carbohydrate content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Calcium content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Iron content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Zinc content of Indian foods
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Magnesium content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Potassium content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.