Worksheet for Fats in Foods Name:

Carbohydrates, lipids (fats), and proteins share the distinction of being classified as macronutrients in the foods we eat. One of
the more interesting features of lipids is that they are the macronutrients that contain the highest amount of energy per gram.
Each proteins and carbohydrates each contain about 4 kilocalories/gram (note: one kcal is the same as a dietary Calorie - always
written with an uppercase C). In contrast, fats contain about 9 kcal/gram; more than twice as much energy! In this worksheet, you
will be evaluating foods and food product labels to compare the energy content in the foods and you will research the fats in the
foods by visiting the USDA Nutrient Database which is called FoodData Central. You can learn how to access the database with
the walk-through instruction linked here.

Instructions.
1) Identify two whole foods and two packaged foods that you would like to explore in FoodData Central. Look them up and
complete the following table for each. An example is given for whole egg. For whole foods, do not choose items from the
database that are labeled “BRANDED” as these will only report a package label.

Per 100-gram sample

 Fatty Acid Present in Largest Amount, and Mass (grams)

Saturated Monounsaturated Polyunsaturated

Which Mass (g) Which Mass (g) Which Mass (g)

Energy Total Lipid fatty fatty fatty
(kcal or Cal) (grams) acid acid acid
Food
Egg, whole, raw 143 9.51 16:0 2.231 18:1 3.411 18:2 1.555

Fish, herring,
158 9.04 10:0 0.005 20:1 0.721 20:4 0.06
Atlantic, raw

Raisins, seeded 296 0.54 14:0 0.004 18:1 0.022 18:3 0.037

Crackers,
482 20.4 17:0 0.007 16:1 0.001 18:2 10.4
multigrain

Ham, chopped, 239 18.8 12:0 0.01 18:1 8.49 18:2 1.86
canned
2) For each food you studied, choose one of the fatty acids and sketch its structure. You do not need to sketch a triglyceride;
just one of the fatty acids. For the unsaturated fatty acids, you may choose where to put the double bonds, however, they
are usually after the 3rd, 6th, or 9th carbon from the tail end of the fat (the omega-end). An example is given with a hand-
drawn sketch pasted in. Choose fats that are not the same as the one shown in the sample.

Food Fat Structure

Selected

Egg 18:1
(note: this would be an omega-6 fatty acid)

Atlantic Herring
10:0
 18:3
Raisins

16:1
Crackers
Ham
12:0