Healthy Fats and Bad Fats

Healthy Fats

With many folks asking me about healthy fats, I am reposting this from July 21, 2021 with a few updates.

We need a certain amount of healthy fats in our diets for energy, to help our bodies absorb Vitamins A, D, E and K,  keep us well lubricated and enhance our immune system. Some fats are saturated; some unsaturated, some from animals and some from nuts and seeds. Here’s my list of what fats and oils to stock for health and vitality.

What makes oils and fats healthy, often is how they were produced. Avoid the chemically treated fats and oils. When selecting oils, I like to choose Organic unrefined, extra virgin and cold pressed oils from olives, nuts and seeds. Pasture raised organic butter and organic ghee are great choices, too. In fact, pasture raised organic butter is yellow, rich in flavor and lower in cholesterol compared with non organic butter from conventionally raised animals fed toxic chemicals, drugs, genetically modified corn and other toxins.

Cooking tips:

Some oils and fats are great for high heat cooking and some are best eaten raw, and then there are some that are great for a quick sauté and baking.

Here’s the list of good fats and bad fats:

My favorite healthy/good fats:

High heat cooking and frying: organic extra virgin coconut oil, organic ghee, organic pasture raised butter, and organic sesame oil.

Quick sautés and stir-fries: organic extra virgin olive oil, organic extra virgin coconut oil, organic red palm oil, organic sesame oil, organic ghee, and organic pasture raised butter.

Salads and dressings: I prefer oils. Nut and seed oils rich in Omega 3 fatty acids: hemp, walnut, and flax.  Organic extra virgin olive oil, and flavored organic extra virgin olive oils, organic pumpkin seed oil, organic red palm oil, organic toasted sesame oil, organic avocados, and organic avocado oil are great choices, too.

Yes, I do prefer organic avocados. Please keep in mind that the farmer, the air, water and earth do not have a tough skin to protect it against toxins.

Organic toasted sesame oil is great for Asian coleslaw and organic extra virgin olive oil, and flavored organic extra virgin olive oils enhance Mediterranean salads and are also great drizzled on soups as a garnish.

For extra crunch and healthy fat, garnish salads with organic hemp seeds, organic tan and black sesame seeds, organic raw and toasted sunflower, and pumpkin seeds, organic nuts like hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, cashews, and macadamia nuts add nutrition, crunch and texture.

Garnishes: Drizzle on organic toasted sesame oil on Asian stir fries and soups; Organic extra virgin olive oil, and flavored organic extra virgin olive oils enhance Mediterranean soups and salads, too.

Baking: I am in love with organic extra virgin coconut oil, pecan oil, hickory nut oil  and grass raised organic butter for all my pastries: cookies, pancakes, cakes, pie crusts, and waffles.

Bad fats, Not in my kitchen:

Corn oil, usually genetically modified if not organically derived. Also, due to corn’s lack of oil, lots of solvents and high temperatures are used for extraction, leaving a nutritionally inferior oil.

Soybean oil, also, if not organically grown, chances are it is also made from genetically modified soybeans. Soybean oil is also damaged from processing and extracting due to high heat and solvents used.

Cotton seed oil is also heavily sprayed with toxins. Since it is cheap, fast food industries love to use it.

Margarine, and other hydrogenated oils, trans fat, pale refined non organic oils are also off my list.

Sunflower and safflower oil have high omega-6 fatty acid content, may contribute to inflammation when not balanced with adequate omega-3 intake.

While it can be a source of some beneficial nutrients, its high calorie count and potential for promoting inflammation when consumed in excess should be considered. 

Storage Tips

Please also read the labels of oils and make sure you refrigerate most oils after opening them. Olive and coconut oils do not need refrigeration. If your kitchen is cool, opened sesame and toasted sesame oils may also be fine out of the refrigerator.

Most oils are best stored in a dark glass bottles.

Happy Cooking and Eating!

 

Photos by Tracey Eller

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