Because oils contain the essential fatty acids linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, there is an allowance for oils in the MyPlate food guide.
Oils are the major source of fatty acids that are necessary for health—called “essential fatty acids.”
While consuming some oil is needed for health, oils still contain calories. In fact, oils and solid fats both contain about 120 calories per tablespoon. Therefore, the amount of oil consumed needs to be limited to balance total calorie intake. To find out how many calories you need every day, take the Healthy Eating My Way quiz.
In addition to vegetable oils, such as olive, canola and soybean oils, a number of foods are naturally high in fats