Let's Talk: The Fat Discussion
Since we're been having some good discussions on Wednesdays about food, I thought we'd continue that trend with one today about fats.
Specifically, tasteless fats.
We're on a war path against the tasteless stuff. During the third step of our new book REAL FOOD HAS CURVES, the mini-detox program, we first take on the myth that fats are somehow bad for us.
We need fats to live. Some vitamins are fat (not water) soluble. Dietary fats aid in proper digestion. They also build neural structures and connections in the body. And they build the wall of every single cell in the body. Want to recover from your work-out with weights? Don't forget the role of fats.
But most importantly, fats bring on satiety. If only we register that we're eating them.
The research is pretty solid: we eat more and more these days because what we eat is pretty darn tasteless. We're caught looking for satiety because we're not eating flavorful food.
Fats, too. We eat copious amounts of the no-flavor stuff. But we crave big, bold flavors for satiety.
Or as we put it in the book, "You'll never see anyone canola-oil-ing their bread."
Let's be honest: all liquid fats have 120 calories per tablespoon. Every one. So why would you "waste" 120 calories on something tasteless? Why wouldn't you DEMAND walnut oil, or hazelnut oil, or olive oil? Why would you not want butter (which actually has fewer calories that a liquid oil)? Or (wow) lard--which is actually a monounsaturated fat like olive oil?
Yes, we consume too many fats. Saturated, monounsaturated, whatever. No doubt about it. The modern world is awash in fat. But most of them are tasteless. And craving flavors, we search for more. But we also eat more because we can't taste what we're eating.
The answer is not to pull away from fat. The answer is to embrace is for the real pleasure it is. The answer is to demand more flavor from every calorie. The answer is to use less of better, not more of worse.
Got a favorite, full-flavored fat--and a way to use it? We'd all love to hear from you.
(Hey, did you know we now have a channel on youtube? Check it out here. OK, don't laugh at me. It's rudimentary, for sure. But hey, I'm working on it!)
almond oil, butter, canola oil, fats, oils, olive oil, walnut oil
Reader Comments (7)
I absolutely love coconut milk. One cool trick I picked up from my mom: don't shake the can opening it. Scoop the very fatty stuff off the top and use that as the fat to saute vegetables. Then I like to add curry paste or powder and fill the pan with the remaining liquid coconut milk. Simmer everything together, maybe add some broth to thin it out, and serve.
Liza: Oh, yum. Veggies sauteed in coconut "cream." What a terrific idea. (I'm also picturing scrambled eggs made with curry powder in the same "cream.") Wow. Great idea!
M.
I'm a big fan of sauteeing potatoes and other veggies in duck fat -- gets them nice and crispy and doesn't detract from the flavor of the vegetable.
Bryan: Welcome! And you go! Emeril always got it wrong. Duck fat rules. (Goose, too.)
M.
Message: Re: Or (wow) lard--which is actually a monounsaturated fat like olive oil?
Regardless of the amt of monounsaturated fat in lard, I do not believe it to be a fair comparison to olive oil. furthermore, it would hurt my heart to think that any of your readers would begin using lard in lieu of a much healthier olive oil. i understand lard may no longer deserve that bad rep it once had, but it's still no olive oil nor is it a fair substitute...
Apeksha: A voice of reason for sure, especially against my more enthusiastic response. I didn't mean to imply a one-to-one pairing. Rather, in the way fats are labeled, real lard--the kind I've shown on this blog, not the shelf-stable, hydrogenated stuff--is a monounsaturated fat. All fats have all three types of fatty acids: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. We label a fat "what it is" by which predominates. In real lard, monounsaturated fats are most by weight--but there's still a lot of saturated fat in there.
All that said, better some tasty lard in cookies or for frying potatoes than a mess of tasteless stuff that brings little satisfaction. I know my friend Jennifer McLagan would weigh in more fully on this. But for me, the real question is taste. And I'd really rather use 1 or 2 tablespoons lard, as opposed to copious amounts of the other stuff that has no taste and doesn't ping any good sense and pleasure memories in the brain.
M.
I love extra virgin coconut oil. It has a sweet delicate flavour that is perfect put in to a banana smoothie or when making granola.