Big Fat Tips: The Avoids

We’ve talked about the importance of fat and some of the good ones. Now, it’s time to get the damaging ones as far from your plate as possible! The type of fat you eat is arguably more important than how much fat you eat. 

Trans fats need to get out immediately.

Check your pantry and fridge for any “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” ingredients even if the label shows zero trans fats. Don’t be fooled by that 0 grams! A common trick is they’ll show a small portion size so that corresponding trans fats are just below the threshold quantity (.5 grams per serving) to be reported on the label. 

Check your:

• Crisco or other vegetable shortening

• Margarine or butter-substitute

• Cool Whip

• Packed food item, especially packaged baked goods

• Peanut butter

Trans fats disrupt your body at cellular level, changing the structure of your cell’s membranes making them unable to get the nutrients they need. Trans fats contribute to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and aging.

Clear out any packaged food with trans fats. Swap vegetable shortening and margarine for butter, ghee or coconut oil depending on the recipe.

Delicate fats require special care.

Unsaturated fats ( especially nuts, seeds, nut and seed oils) are quite delicate and can damage easily. Light, air and heat are their worst enemy and turn something healthful into something harmful. With excess air, light and heat, the fat’s composition changes and feeds us a heavy dose of free radicals and noxious compounds, causing inflammation and damage to cell membranes. If your fats are damaged by air, light and heat, keep them off your plate as well. 

Here are some tips for keeping delicate fats in good condition.

AIR  

• Pay attention to the use-by date on oil. 

• Store oils in a bottle with a cap that seals completely.

• Nuts and seeds last 1 year when stored in the fridge or freezer. 

• Avoid buying nuts and seeds from bulk bins since they’re repeatedly exposed to air and light.

LIGHT 

• Buy or store your nuts, seed and oils in dark glass or opaque non-plastic containers, in a dark cupboard (oils), fridge or freezer (nuts and seeds).

HEAT 

• Never store fats near your stove or other heat source.

• Store oils in a cool, dark cupboard and store nuts and seeds in the fridge or freezer . 

• When cooking, consider the fat’s maximum temperatures. 

Have you made ghee, or clarified butter, before? The milk solids are removed, making it a better option for those with mild lactose intolerance and for higher-heat cooking. To make, start with a good quality, grass-fed butter and follow this step-by-step photo guide from The Pioneer Woman.