Fats

 

In the past ten years I have been eliminating unhealthy hydrogenated fats and oils, including those in processed and ultra processed food products, from my daily diet.  In this time I have been researching healthier fats and the truth behind why we should choose these over alternatives like vegetable oil, canola oil, soybean and seed oils, shortenings, etc.  For me this made a lot of sense because when I think of vegetables I don’t think of them as being particularly oily so for them to be able to make fats they must be dramatically altered.  I know that sticking closer to what nature provides is much more optimal to a healthy lifestyle.

 

By sticking closer to natural whole foods I have found it to be quite transformative.  I’ve enjoyed better health, especially with regard to frequent migraines that I had been plagued with since I was fourteen years old.  I have recovered remarkably well from some health issues I had five years ago and now I am considered healthy once again.  My weight is stable, my digestion functions properly, my activity and energy level is optimal and I feel better overall.  I am also able to eat quite well, a variety of healthy foods, on a very low grocery budget which allows me to hang onto my hard earned cash without overspending to feed myself.

 

As part of my healthy diet I am interested this year in making wise use of all of the food I purchase in order to minimize food waste and get the most bang for my buck.  In the past few years, especially this last year, I have seen how expensive fats have become, especially the healthier options, so I’ve been doing what I can to make the most of the fats I currently have.  Part of that is to make wise use of the fats I render.  Bacon fat is one of those fats I have rendered and saved all my adult life to reuse in the cooking of other meals.  I’ve also saved rendered chicken fat, also known as schmaltz, as well as beef fat which I skim, strain and save as tallow.  Rendered pork fat is also something I save to reuse as well.

Instead of reaching for my pantry oils like avocado, olive or coconut first I will decide if I can use one of my rendered fats instead to cook my meals, which is usually the case.  This saves me substantially as it means my pantry oils last much longer.  Instead, I use these oils for making salad dressings, condiments and for baking.  I also use lard or butter in recipes in place of shortening and I can tell you my biscuits and pie crusts are amazing!  The biscuits are light and fluffy with layers and my pie crusts are lighter and flakier.  Neither of which are greasy at all.  They are much tastier too.

 

Many might argue that animal fats are not healthy, but my research and education on fats leads me to believe otherwise.  By design, our bodies actually need good fats in order to be healthy and function properly.  I am firmly planted in the camp that oils and fats made from altered and GMO food products are far less healthy for us.  Of course, as with anything, you need to enjoy them in moderation.  Healthy fats help to make foods more satiating too so we tend to not overeat as much.  The added savings to my grocery bill further affirms that the closer I eat to REAL Foods, the less money I need to spend to feed myself delicious, high quality and nutritious meals.