Methods and food product compositions are provided for preferentially
reducing absorption of saturated fat whereby the effective caloric
content of a fat-containing food product is reduced by about 25% of the
effective caloric content contributed by a saturated fat. This food
product is prepared with a major portion of the saturated fat present in
the food product being complexed with a solubilized alpha and/or beta
cyclodextrin. Food products comprising a fat component comprising
mixtures of saturated and unsaturated fat fractions are provided wherein
the saturated fat fraction is desirably selectively more complexed to
reduce its relative metabolic availability.