FitSugar

Fatty Foods Worth a Little Indulging!

Heather Dale — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 03:06:39 PDT

Not all fats are bad for you; in fact, incorporating healthy fats into your diet can actually be good for you! The general rule of thumb is that good fats are liquid at room temperature and bad fats are solid at room temperature. Therefore, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats fall into the good fats category, while saturated and trans fats fall into the bad fats category. Unlike saturated fats, monounsaturated fats help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, while boosting your HDL (good) cholesterol. Dietary fat is also good for us because it is one of three macronutrients that supports a number of our body's functions and provides us with energy.

Now for the fun stuff - the foods with all the healthy fats:

Avocados: Avocados contain monounsaturated fats (and antioxidants and beta carotene too!), which is said to help enhance memory and prevent heart disease. The recommended daily intake (RDI) of fat is 65 grams and one cup of avocado contains almost one third of your fat intake for a day, about 23 grams. So it's probably best to stick with eating just a half an avocado each day.

Keep reading for more healthy fatty foods!

Corn Oil vs. Canola Oil

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:30:00 PST

Since Hanukkah is coming up on Dec. 4, I thought it'd be a great idea to chat about oil. When you look on a shelf at the store, there are many kinds of oil to choose from, and I always thought that canola and corn oil were the same thing. I was way off.

Corn oil is made from the germ of corn. Canola oil is actually produced from rapeseed oil and was originally made in Canada. The word canola comes from "Canadian Oil, Low Acid." Some people think that canola oil is unhealthy because rapeseed oil contains high amounts of erucic acid, which is know to have harmful effects. Don't worry though, canola oil is now made from a new plant that is similar to the rapeseed plant, but has a much lower erucic acid content.

So how do they compare nutritionally? To see the chart

	Corn oil	Canola oil
Serving Size	1 Tbsp	1 Tbsp
Calories	120	120
Total Fat	14g	14g
Saturated Fat	2g	1g
Polyunsaturated Fat	8g	4g
Monounsaturated Fat	4g	9g
Sodium	0g	0g
Fiber	0g	0g
Sugars	0g	0g
Protein	0g	0g

As you can see, canola oil is so great because like olive oil, it's low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat. This kind of fat is good to consume because it can actually lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintain HDL (good) cholesterol. Another thing, corn oil contains more polyunsaturated fat than canola oil. This type of fat has also been shown to reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, but too much can lower your HDL (good) cholesterol.

Fit's Tips: Canola oil is a great choice when it comes to baking and sautéing, because it has a high burn point, meaning it doesn't start smoking until it reaches 238°Celsius. Just for reference, olive oil's burn point is 190°Celsius.

Ditching Trans Fat: The Benefits Exceed the Cost

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:30:00 PST

We're all excited about about how many cities, states and companies are banning trans fats, but how are they going to deliver the same beloved French Fries and fried chicken that so many of their customers crave?

This Chicago restaurant owner, Ina Pinkney, might have paved the way - she eliminated trans fat from her menu a few years ago, and made the switch to Canola oil. She says that going trans fat free was a recipe for success.

She feared that the partially hydrogenated vegetable oils used in her foods were endangering her customers' health. Using Canola oil is not only healthier for her customers, but it's cheaper for her - she says it cooks so much better, so she uses less oil.

The oil's "fry life" and taste are virtually the same, but Canola oil is about 30% more expensive than partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. That's why a lot of restaurant owners are reluctant to make the switch. They just need to talk to Ina since she thinks it is cost beneficial.

But in the end switching over to Canola oil will prove beneficial because if patrons know the food is healthier, they'll probably be eating it more often (and MORE of it).

That's Nutty

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 17:30:00 PST

Nuts! Fish!? Seeds?!? Omega 3s can cause some culinary confusion. If you're looking to get more of them in your diet here's a few simple ways:

Walnut Oil: I use this in salad dressings regularly using equal parts walnut oil to olive oil. Then I add a little white wine vinegar and some Dijon mustard. Plus, I throw some toasted walnuts onto the salad. Be sure to refrigerate your oil after you open it.
Flax seeds: My favorite way to sneak flax seeds into my diet is Uncle Sam Cereal. It is simply toasted whole wheat flakes and flax seeds. Taste wise the cereal would benefit with some added fresh fruit. Plus my kids love it, which I love since the cereal hardly has any sugar in it!
Canola Oil: Canola oil is great to cook with and is the best oil when making a stir fry. It tastes much lighter than olive oil which makes it suitable for baking as well.
Source

The Only Cooking Oils You'll Ever Need

Camilla Salem — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:30:13 PDT

A small investment in a variety of oils will go a long way in your efficient and organized kitchen. I'll admit to being guilty of trying to use olive oil for most of my cooking, but the truth is, having the proper oils on hand is essential to versatile home cooking.

Keeping your pantry properly stocked will help you cook your favorite recipes and explore new cuisines more seamlessly. Here are the only four types of oil you'll ever need.

Oil for high-heat cooking: Keep neutral flavored oils, like canola and peanut, on hand for high-heat cooking, like frying. Canola oil is also essential in many baked goods.
Oil for medium-heat cooking: Olive oil (not extra-virgin) is a great option for everyday medium-heat cooking, such as sautéing. It imparts great flavor into the food but has a high enough smoke point to make it an effective cooking oil. Olive oil can also be used in baked goods.
Finishing oil: Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil to finish dishes and give a burst of fruity flavor. This is also best used in salad dressings.
Exotic oil: If you like to cook meals from various cuisines around the world, it's handy to have a variety of unusual oils in your pantry. Walnut, sesame, hazelnut, and pumpkinseed oils are all unique and contribute strong flavors to dishes.

What oils do you keep in your pantry?

Know Your Techniques: Stir-Frying

Laura Marie Given — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:17:46 PDT

Stir-frying may seem like a no-brainer - mix oil, meat, and vegetables, then stir - but by using the proper technique, you'll gain better, more flavorful results. Hoping to step up your kitchen routine? Gather your favorite stir-fry recipes and follow these six simple steps for an extra tasty meal:

Prep the ingredients. Before you begin, you should wash, cut, and prepare the foods you plan to use. Try to make the pieces as close to the same size as possible so that they take the same amount of time to cook.
Heat the pan. The amount of heat may vary according to different recipes, but you should generally be cooking between medium to high heat. If things seem to be cooking too quickly, remove the pan and lower the heat.
Add oil, then herbs. Once your pan or wok is hot, add some cooking oil (we recommend peanut or canola) and swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan.
Start with protein. Meat will need to cook for the longest amount of time, so add meat before anything else. To make sure it cooks through, let the meat sit and brown rather than constantly stirring or flipping it.
Toss in vegetables. If you hope to separate the flavors, you may choose to remove the meat before cooking any vegetables. Otherwise, you can just push the meat to the side as you heat the vegetables. Start with the foods that need more time to cook (carrots, broccoli), then add any quickly cooked veggies (water chestnuts, leafy greens) later.
Pour in sauce contents. Slowly add any broth, sauce, or vinegar that's needed for your sauce recipe. Stir in the ingredients and let the mix simmer until it thickens.

If you're stir-frying a lot, it's probably worth investing in a good wok. Do you have any special stir-frying tips? Share them in the comments below!

A Reader Recipe: Vegan Chocolate-Chip Banana Bread

Fit Community — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:29:30 PDT

FitSugar reader Whipped recently shared this recipe for vegan chocolate-chip banana bread, which she got from the BabyCakes Bakery cookbook, in our Healthy Recipe group.

So I have been craving some banana bread lately. I want a moist, tender, chocolately chip banana bread . . . and I'd like it healthy, too, please? No butter? No eggs? No dairy?

Yup. Perfect chocolate-chip banana bread. And it's also gluten-free, so no worries if you have wheat allergies.

Read on for the recipe.

5 Simple Ways to Dry Nail Polish Faster

Miriam Lacey — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:42:00 PDT

There's nothing more annoying than spending half an hour getting your nails just right only to have them ruined the minute you put your hand into your purse or need to itch that place behind your ear. Luckily, there are lots of ways to speed up what can otherwise seem infernally long drying times. To check out our easy fixes, keep reading.

10 Ingredients to Liven Up Your Salad Dressings

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:58:32 PST

The sky is the limit when it comes to making homemade salad dressings, yet most people still toss their greens in something store-bought or a simple mix of olive oil and balsamic. Adding a few simple ingredients can totally transform the flavor of your salads, many of which are kitchen staples.

Fresh or dried herbs: Quickly chop herbs like parsley, mint, thyme, dill, tarragon, cilantro, basil, or chives, and whisk them into your dressing at the last minute. Dried herbs have more concentrated flavor, so use a third of the amount you would for fresh herbs.
Flavored oils: Thee are tons of specialty oils available like walnut, pistachio, pumpkin, peanut, sesame, even smoked olive oil. Even blending just a tablespoon of a flavored oil with a neutral tasting oil like canola will add roasted, nutty accents to your dressing.

See eight more ways to liven up your salad dressings.

Bye Bye Butter: Healthier Baking Substitutions

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:07:31 PST

Whether you're vegan or just want to make healthier baked goods, finding ways to omit the butter can greatly reduce the amount of calories, fat, and cholesterol in your sweet treats. There are countless ways to replace eggs in recipes, and here are healthier alternatives to using butter.

Applesauce: This ingredient is often used to replace oil in recipes, but it can also be an alternative to butter, and works best in cake-like recipes (like this Vegan Banana Apple Chunk Bread). Replace half the amount of butter in your recipe with applesauce; if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, use half a cup of butter and half a cup of applesauce. If you don't mind a denser, more moist bread, replace all the butter with applesauce to cut even more calories and fat.
Avocado: Substitute half the amount of butter in a baking recipe with mashed avocado (it works well with cookies); use the same method as you would when using applesauce. It not only lowers the calorie content but also yields a softer, chewier baked good, and is perfect if you want to omit the dairy.

Keep reading for more healthy ways to replace butter in recipes.