newbie with question about % fat in daily intake

So, having only been here about 4 days (I love this site, btw!), I can't really say if this is normal for me or not, but according to my analysis, I'm averaging about 8% fat for my daily intake. All the posts I've read reccommend around 20%. Is it bad that I don't eat enough fat?

My main problem with this is I don't like nuts at all, and I'm not really opposed to fish, but I never eat it (aside from the very occasional tuna sandwich). Chicken just seems easier (and tastier). Maybe if I knew how to cook fish, and what types taste good (there are so many!), then I'd be ok.

Can anyone tell me whether I *need* to make an effort to eat more fat, and if so, suggest a food? (No nuts, and minimal cooking, please!)

Read up, girlie!

http://www.westonaprice.org/transition/fatfea r.html

Thanks for the link! I've skimmed through the article, and it looks
very informative. I'll print it out and read it more thoroughly later
tonight. Again, thanks for replying. =)

becb, yes, you need to make an effort to eat more fat, it's essential for optimal health.  You need Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids. 

Where to get them? Eat seeds & fish.   First seeds...take 1 part sesame, sunflower, & pumpkin (aka pepitas) seeds, and 3 parts flax seed.  Mix & put in a jar in your fridge (away from light, heat & oxygen so it doesn't go bad).  Every morning, take 1 TB of this seed mixture, put it through a grinder (I use a cheap coffee grinder) and sprinkle it on your breakfast (also disappears in a smoothie or, as weird as it sounds, things like mashed potatoes). 

Or supplement with seed oils, ideally you want a 1:1 ratio Omega 6 & Omega 3.  Go to Whole Foods or a health food store and look for organic, cold-pressed oil that's kept refrigerated.  If you can't find 1:1 look for hemp oil, which is 19% Omega 3, 59% Omega 6.  You can add oil to your salads or other foods as long as you don't heat it, or chug it straight (ewww).

Or supplement with pills.  For Omega 6 choose borage or evening primrose.  You want 100mg of GLA a day (borage has more than primrose), and fish oil for Omega 3.  You want 200 mg of EPA and 200 mg of DHA.  Look at the bottles for how much they provide.

And try to start experimenting with fish.  In terms of the Omega 3 fats good sources (in order) are mackerel, herring, lake trout, salmon, tuna, sardines, swordfish, white fish.  Salmon, tuna and swordfish are the easiest to find in restaurants and to cook at home (unless you're an eat sardines out of the can kind of person...shudder).  Took me a while to develop a taste for grilled salmon and rare tuna, but now I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it.  Took me no time at all to like swordfish, it's very meaty and grilled it's fabulous.  If you've never had fresh tuna, I suggest you order it "cooked all the way through" in the beginning, that pink center can freak some people out (did me!).  Cooking Light usually has some easy and tasty fish dishes.

And how do I know so much about essential fats? I read Patrick Holford's "The New Optimum Nutrition Bible".  FULL of information. I recommend it to everybody.  Available on Amazon or your local Border/Barnes & Noble might have it or can order it for you.

Wow, thanks! This is all very helpful! I never eat out, but I could do the supplement thing. There's a Whole Foods store not far from me. I was going to go there to get some coffee, anyway...  Also, sushi should work, and I love the japanese bagel roll (salmon w/ cream cheese), and I've wanting to learn to make my own sushi. =) Thanks again for all the info!