• Dietary fat should contribute no more than 25-30 percent of total daily calories, which translates to 50-60 grams of fat for women and 55-70 grams for men.

• Fat calories are often hidden. They lurk in your tuna salad, potato chips, and salad dressings. They hide in meat too -- so choose lean cuts and remove any visible fat before cooking.

  

• A disguised fat can turn a healthy meal into a weight challenge. Take salad -- it's a wonderful way to get two or three servings of vegetables as long as you are selective about the dressing (always ask for it on the side to avoid typical drenching) and other high-fat add-ons like croutons, bacon bits and eggs.

When cooking with fat, choose oils with higher monounsaturated fat content such as canola and olive, or oils with higher polyunsaturated fat content that come from sunflowers, safflower and corn.