We previously reported differences in protein and carbohydrate selection patterns in post-weanling rats fed beef tallow or soybean oil-based diets. Two experiments were designed to determine the characteristic of the dietary fat which mediates the selection behavior. For each experiment, dietary fat was 20% (w/w) of diets and fatty acid profiles were obtained by blending fat sources. Rats were randomly assigned to diets (24% protein, 40% carbohydrate) which varied only in fatty acid composition. After 2 weeks, rats selected from 2 diets with the fat composition previously fed, but varying in their protein and carbohydrate composition (55% protein, 4% carbohydrate and 5% protein, 61% carbohydrate). Experiment 1 was designed to test the effect of relative (omega 6: omega 3 ratios of 1 and 20) and absolute (15% or 4% omega 6, 0.7% or 0.2% omega 3) differences in essential fatty acids on macronutrient selection patterns. Differences in dietary essential fatty acids had no effect on energy intake or the proportion of energy consumed as protein and carbohydrate. Experiment 2 examined the effect of differences in the level of saturated fat (3-10% diet (w/w] on protein and carbohydrate selection. Animals selecting from diets with higher levels of saturated fat consumed more energy as protein and less as carbohydrate than rats selecting from diets with lower levels of saturated fat (p less than 0.0001). Regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between percent protein or carbohydrate energy and classes of dietary fat. The strongest relationship existed between percent dietary saturated fat and percent protein or carbohydrate energy (p less than 0.0001). Polyunsaturated:saturated fat ratio was also weakly associated with percent protein and carbohydrate energy (p less than 0.05). Polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids were not significantly related to percent protein or carbohydrate energy. These results indicated that protein and carbohydrate selection patterns are altered in response to qualitatively different dietary fatty acids, and that the amount of saturated fat in the diet is the important characteristic of dietary fat mediating the behavioral alteration.