All fat molecules start with a three carbon base, and there are chains, called fatty acids, attached to that base. You can think of it as a chain link fence where the poles holding it up are the carbons and the chain links are the fatty acids. There are different types of fatty acid chains– monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated —which give the fat its defining characteristics.

 So here’s where the numbers come in: the total fat is a measure of the entire “fence” (the poles and the chain links) whereas the mono, poly and sat fat only pertain to the chain links. Also, there are trace amounts of naturally occurring trans fat (another kind of link) in many foods that is not reflected in my analysis. Plus, all the numbers are rounded to the nearest tenth, so that affects the total too, however slightly. In all, that’s why the fatty acids usually add up to less than the total fat.

 Last week I spoke at the annual convention of the School Nutrition Association where I got to meet many school food professionals and learn about their work. One thing that came through loud and clear is that these folks are far from the disgruntled, gaudy cartoon lunch ladies portrayed in the movies. (A horrible preconception I admit I had until all too recently.) Rather, they are professionals who care passionately about the children they serve and they do their job under amazingly difficult conditions. Can you imagine feeing 700 children 2 meals a day, with just two ancient burners to work with, in a kitchen no bigger than a large walk-in closet? Or planning an appealing, balanced, nutritious lunch day after day with only a little over a dollar per child to spend on food? Well, this is what these men and women accomplish day in and day out.

So next time you see your local school food professional, make sure you say thanks. And if you are inclined, take it a step further and ask how you can help them achieve your common goal of providing the best possible food to the children.