How much fat does the body need per day?

A person on a 2,000 calorie daily diet requires 20 to 35 percent of those calories from fat, which is approximately 44 to 78 total grams. Daily calorie limits vary according to a person's age, weight and gender.

The large majority of a person's fat consumption must come from healthy unsaturated fats such as nuts, avocado, hummus and seeds, explains Coleman. It is acceptable to consume an extremely limited amount of saturated fats, but eating too much of this type of fat can lead to heart disease. Saturated fats are found in foods such as butter, animal fats, ice cream, cheese and whole milk.