FitSugar

Is Palm Oil the New Trans Fat?

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:17 -0700

Partially hydrogenated oil is a type of trans fat that has gotten a lot of flak, and rightfully so. This chemically altered fat is known to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and increase your chance of developing coronary heart disease. Many companies are replacing hydrogenated oil with palm oil, saying that's it's a healthier option.

On nutritional labels you might see this ingredient listed as palm-fruit oil, since it's extracted from the fruit of the oil palm tree. This is not to be confused with palm kernel oil, which comes from the palm seed found inside the fruit. Eighty-six percent of the fat in palm kernel oil is saturated (the unhealthy fat), and 50 percent of the fat from palm-fruit oil is saturated, so it's the better choice of the two, but is palm oil considered healthy? To find out read more.

Palm oil is high in saturated fat, and so are butter, whole milk, ground beef, and skin from chicken. These fats should be limited just like trans fats; they clog your arteries and can lead to heart problems. Small amounts of palm oil are seen as safe, but I wouldn't go out of your way to eat foods containing it, and would instead look for foods made with canola or olive oils.

Palm oil has also been in the news over the past couple years for environmental reasons. The palm fruit is found in rain forests, and the production of palm oil is leading to deforestation, which is in turn driving orangutans to near extinction. So if you're concerned about your health and the well-being of the planet, I'm sure you'll be diligently label reading the next time you hit the grocery store.

Cooking Oil Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:30:00 -0700

Being a curious creature, I like to compare things. Recently, I decided to focus on cooking oil. I tend to use canola and olive oil when cooking since they're healthy oils, but as I peruse the shelves of oils at the grocery store, there are so many more to choose from. For easy comparison, I created this breakdown. The oils are fairly similar calorie-wise, but take a look at the saturated fat content. This is the fat you want to limit in your diet, so that's why coconut and palm kernel oil should be used or eaten sparingly. Since some of you may prefer to cook or bake with butter or margarine, I included those at the bottom of the list, just for comparison. I also included oils that you wouldn't necessarily cook with, but that you may find in a list of ingredients on pre-packaged foods.

To see the breakdown, read more.

Here's the nutritional info for one tablespoon of oil.

Oil	Calories	Total (g)	Saturated Fat (g)
Almond oil	120	14	1
Avocado oil	124	14	1.6
Canola oil	120	14	1
Coconut oil	117	13.6	11.8
Corn oil	120	14	2
Cottonseed oil	119	14	3
Extra virgin olive oil	120	14	2
Flaxseed oil	120	13.6	1.3
Grapeseed oil	120	13.6	1.3
Hemp seed oil	126	14	1.5
Macadamia nut oil	120	14	2
Olive oil	119	13.5	1.9
Palm oil	120	13.6	6.7
Palm kernel oil	116	14	11
Peanut oil	119	13.5	2.3
Safflower oil	120	13.6	.8
Sesame oil	120	13.6	1.9
Soybean oil	120	13.6	2
Sunflower oil	120	13.6	1.8
Vegetable oil	124	14	.9
Walnut oil	120	14	1.5
Wheatgerm oil	120	13.6	2.6
Butter	102	11.5	7.3
Smart Balance Margarine	80	9	2.5

Source

Which Oil Is Highest in Saturated Fat?

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:15:00 -0700

We all know trans fat is bad for us, but many other oils used in products we buy are heavy in saturated fat, which can increase blood cholesterol levels if consumed regularly. So do you know which oil contains the highest amount of saturated fat? Take this short quiz to find out.

Source

Take the quiz

When It Comes to Oil, Spray Don't Pour

FitSugar — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:30:00 -0800

Certain oils like olive and canola can offer your body the healthy fat it needs. They're low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat, considered the healthier kind of fat that can help lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol. That does not mean you're eating foods that are drowning in oil. A fat is still a fat, no matter what. A tablespoon of oil can add up to 100 calories!

When cooking or adding oil to foods, try using an oil mister, like this one from Crate and Barrel ($14.95) or you can try the Misto ($9.95). Through a pumping action, you can give a light mist of regular or infused oils to salads, bread, pans, veggies, meats, and anything else you add oil to. It's easier than using a brush, and healthier than just pouring a whole bunch straight from the bottle. It's a great way to lighten your meals, and add flavor but not too much extra fat and calories.

Wake Up and Smell The Grapefruit

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 02:30:00 -0700

We've all heard that eating grapefruit can help aid in weight loss, heck there is even a grapefruit diet, but recent research shows that the sour fruit can be linked to breast cancer, which means I'm not loving the idea of eating it in large quantities. So what's a girl looking for help in weight loss supposed to do?

It turns out that the mere smell of grapefruit is apparently good enough to aid in weight loss. Preliminary animal studies show that the scent of grapefruit oil may help reduce appetite. Researchers speculate that this is because of the effect the oil's smell has on liver enzymes, which help nix cravings and spur weight loss. Clearly more research needs to be done, but if you like the smell of grapefruit (which I love, by the way) then why not give it a go and let me know if it helps reduce hunger.

Deep Fried Twinkies - As Bad For You as They Sound?

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 03:00:00 -0800

I know you want me to say, "No, go ahead. Enjoy. They're great for you. Have one. Have another. Eat a whole bunch."

But come on people. It's a Twinkie, that's chilled and then deep-fried in tempura batter and oil for 2 minutes. The cooking process melts the vanilla-cream center, which infuses the yellow cake and gives it a souffle or pudding-like texture. Finally, the treats are sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with either chocolate or berry sauce.

I think I gained a pound just writing that.

Here's the break down:

1 Twinkie = 150 calories (alone)
Batter and oil = 275 calories
Total Damage = 425 calories

You could get a whole slice of apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the same amount of calories.

Not into Twinkies? Wanna know how the deep-fried Snickers Bar adds up? Then read more

Order the King-Size version and you'll be downing over 700 calories and 44 grams of fat.

And that's not the worst of it. Some pubs serve their fried candy bars with a side of fries and call it a meal. Now that's what I call junk food. I think the fried Snickers should be added to the list of foods you should never eat.

Spray on the Oil

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 02:00:04 -0800

During the holidays, you simply can't pass up all the rich and delicious foods and desserts. Tasting all those yummy things is part of the fun during this time of year.

Go ahead and enjoy all the food when you're celebrating. But in between big meals and decadant desserts, you might want to try lightening your food intake.

I love having a big salad filled with as many fresh vegetables as I can get my hands on. I flavor it with dried cranberries, apples, pears, and walnuts.

I also discovered this oil sprayer. I hate when my fresh greens are swimming in oil. Now I can just give my salad a light mist.

Fit's Tips: Use an oil sprayer on cooking utensils, pizza dough, vegetables, frying pans, and cookie sheets to reduce unnecessary fat intake.

Healthier Potato Latkes

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 16:30:00 -0800

Whether you are Jewish or not, everyone loves a good potato latke. And since Hanukkah is coming up, I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes.

The thing is, this tradition of making latkes has to do with celebrating the miracle of oil, so you can't exactly remove the oil in the recipe. I've had baked latkes before - they're just not the same.

It's ok to live it up a little, especially around the holidays. The calories don't count anyway when you eat them with family, right? Right.

Why not compromise by using less oil? Instead of frying them in a sea of oil, try using only enough oil to cover the pan.

If you want to know how to make them, read more

Potato Latkes

2 eggs
3 cups grated, drained potatoes (6 medium potatoes)
4 tbsp grated onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
olive oil

Saute the onion until slightly browned.
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Mix in the grated potatoes, cooked onion, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and flour.
Cover a pan with 1-2 tbsp of oil, and turn the heat to medium.
Scoop the mixture out in little balls and drop onto the pan, flattening with a spatula. (They should be about the size of an orange slice)
Cook until crispy brown on both sides, and lay them on paper towels to soak up any extra oil.
Serve warm with applesauce or sour cream.

Why we love it: They're fun to make, and potatoes actually have Vitamin C in them, so they're great to eat during this time of year when just about everyone is sick.

Fit's Tip: Try adding a little bit of grated sweet potato, carrot, or zucchini to the mixture.

Applesauce for oil?

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:00:00 -0800

I love to make home made cookies. It's really one of my favorite things. For some time I was using applesauce in place of the oil in an effort to cut the fat, but the cookies just never tasted (or felt) the same -- and I just reverted back to the original recipe. But now I have recently learned that I was just doing it all wrong.

So, if you want to cut the fat, but still want tasty baked goods, then try these tips:

Use unsweetened applesauce.
Only replace half of the fat, not all of it.
Drain the applesauce for 5 to 10 minutes in a colander. If your colander has big holes, line it with paper towels.
You may want to try reducing the sugar content by a tad, since applesauce is naturally sweet.

Palm Fruit Oil vs. Palm Kernel Oil

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 02:30:00 -0800

I was food shopping the other day, reading labels as usual, and I came upon the ingredient palm fruit oil. I kind of assumed that it was the same as palm kernel oil, but I was wrong. Palm fruit oil (also called palm oil) is extracted from the fruit of the oil palm tree while palm kernel oil comes from the palm seed found inside the fruit. Eighty-six percent of the fat in palm kernel oil is saturated (the not so healthy fat), while only 50 percent of the fat from palm fruit oil is saturated, which makes it a healthier choice for your arteries. Even though it's high in saturated fat, some research suggests that the fatty acids in palm oil can actually raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels in your body. I haven't found any substantial medical evidence to prove this though.

So when you're checking labels, be on the lookout for these oils since they're found in margarines and many processed foods. If the saturated fat content is high, you may want to skip out on certain products, especially if you have issues with high cholesterol or your heart.

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