Fats and Oils

Fats and Oils is one of the food groups catalogued in the USDA FoodData Central database, and this page surfaces 28 foods from that group on the current view (page 5). Among just the 28 foods on this page, the average calorie count lands at 710 kcal per 100g, with average protein of 1.0g per 100g (the full Fats and Oils group of 228 foods averages 609 kcal, shown above). These per-page averages help you benchmark any single food against its immediate neighbors on this listing, a food 30% above this page's calorie average, for example, is a useful signal for portion planning.

Within this page, the most energy-dense item is "Shortening frying (heavy duty), beef tallow and cottonseed" at 900 calories per 100g, while the lightest is "Salad dressing, sweet and sour" at 15 calories. That kind of spread is typical for USDA food groups: branded and processed entries often sit high on calories and sodium, while raw or minimally prepared entries anchor the low end. Sorting the grid by calories, protein, fat, or carbs exposes the full distribution so you can pick foods that match specific dietary goals rather than relying on category intuition alone.

Every food in the Fats and Oils group links to a full FDA-format nutrition label with vitamins, minerals, and daily value percentages sourced from USDA Standard Reference, Foundation, Branded, or Survey data depending on the item. Use the sort controls to surface the highest-protein or lowest-sodium choices, or drill into any food card to see macro bars, similar foods, and brand breakdowns. For framework and interpretation help, the nutrition guides explain daily values, how to compare foods fairly, and where hidden sugars hide inside everyday categories.