For Weekend Digestion

I only have five paragraphs, so instead of writing my thoughts today, I am going to rely on some images to illustrate more on oils.  These images were found from other sources (my apologies and appreciation for it at once) and break oils apart nutritionally.  Bar graphs show healthy benefits of oils and the not so healthy accompaniments.  Here is what you need to remember:  Saturated fat is bad for your body; monounsaturated fat is good; high omega-3 fatty acids is good (the body cannot make them); high omega-6 fatty acids is bad (your body makes these all by itself, omega fatty acids need to be balanced).

Remember to eat real food, drink plenty of water, give your vitamins their vitamins and, as always, remember to wash your hands.

Anna~

Oil.

Oils.  We know them.  Rachael talks about EVOO, cakes ask for vegetable oil, dressing requires an oil, as does mayonnaise, and we grease our pans and irons with oil.  My counter is dressed with four different cooking oils at all times, they are never moved from beside the stove, for use multiple times a day.  "Why oil?"  And, maybe more importantly, "What oil?"

Oil is a fat.  Because we have talked about fat we know that it contains 9 calories per gram and should represent less than 35% of our diet.  We also know there are liquid fats, solid fats, animal fats, plant fats which fall into categories such as saturated, unsaturated, hydrogenated, trans, etc., fat.  Oil, mainly a plant  or vegetable fat, is liquid at room temperature, provides omega-3 and other essential fatty acids, and delivers monounsaturated (good) fats to the body.  Olive oil contains flavanoids, macadamia oil contains antioxidants, coconut oil is low in omega 6 but high in lauric acid. Using a variety of oils means you get a variety of benefits, benefits not present in animal fats and oils.

So, "What oil?"
*Not all oils are created equal.  When choosing an oil, find the words 'expeller pressed' or 'fist cold pressed'; this means the oils were extracted with pressure instead of a chemical exchange.
*Oils, no matter the variety, should also be organic.  Non-organic plants are blanketed with herbicides and pesticides.  When the berry or fruit is pressed to release the oil the internal herbicides and residual pesticides flow with it.  When you consume the oil you then consume the chemicals.  Choose organic.
*You also need to make sure the oil on the label is the oil in the bottle.  Some oils are mixed with filler oils (cheaper) and you may be duped into thinking you are eating something you are not.  Looking at the ingredient list may not suffice here, for some filler oils are not listed (and don't need to be), but there might be a quality seal present.
*A Non-GMO (genetically modified organism) label or claim is important as well.

I cannot possibly capture and explain all of the oils in two or three paragraphs but I found a great chart online that does. Thanks to eatingRULES.com, I now have a greater understanding of how some oils compare to others.  It's called the Cooking Oils Comparison Chart.  Click the link, print it out and place it on your fridge.  Great learning tool, great cooking guide, great advice and comparison chart!

Eat real, delicious, naturally occurring food, drink plenty of water, give your vitamins their vitamins, and, as always, remember to wash your hands.  I will soon further our education on oil.  Hydrogenated?  Saturated?  Refined?  It's worth a second look.  The investigation continues...

Anna~

Even I Can't Find a Replacement for Sausage

This morning we woke late so instead of rushing the kids to pack their own lunch I scampered through the kitchen to assemble their meals myself.  Grapes, peanuts, yogurt, roast chicken and cheese sandwiches on bakery bread, a tall water bottle and love.  I consider our selections pretty healthy, but if I look I can see salt, if I scrutinize I can see sugar, if I wonder I can see white flour and processed meat. I was recently approached to answer the question, "What should I pack my kids for lunch?" and I offered an extensive list, but I do realize adding foods together to make lunch can be tricky.

The go-to for lunch is a sandwich.  Peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese, and BLT's; a few different food groups represented between two pieces of bread.  To make sure your sandwich isn't a processed mess, read your labels.  The big brand peanut butter adds hydrogenated oils to avoid separation; sugar and salt are also added to the paste.  Instead of getting a relatively good source of protein, you get a good dose of sugar, a nice dent in your sodium requirement and a dose of hydrogenated oil (I will dissect oils tomorrow if you are wondering why this is concerning).

Peanuts are a very nutritious food, so please do not beleive that I am suggesting peanuts or beloved butter is bad for you.  One quarter cup of peanuts have 35% of your daily value of manganese which your body needs in order to: utilize biotin, thiamin, ascorbic acid, and choline; enhance bone strength; synthesize fatty acids and cholesterol; maintain normal blood sugar levels; promote optimal function of your thyroid gland; maintain nerve health; protect your cells from free-radical damage.  Peanuts also provide tryptophan, folate, copper, protein and vitamin B3.  Peanut butter is a good food choice, but make sure your label reads more like this:

And what about lunch meat?  Is eating salt cured ham a good choice?  What about a football sized chicken breast pumped full with brine to add flavor?  How about salami and other loaf meats and sausages?  I am a sucker for sausage, as are most Wisconsinites, but are they good for me?  Some research says that adding deli meat to your diet keeps portion size low and adds protein to any sandwich, but the reality is, "No."  A natural chicken breast is about 5 ounces, a natural turkey breast is about 9 ounces. If you wish for a roast turkey sandwich, buy a free range bird, roast it with your favorite veggies and herbs, slice it thin and put it on a great piece of bread.  (Honestly though, even I can't find a replacement for sausage;-)  Detour around the deli and head to the butcher in stead.  If you are going to eat meat try for all you're worth to eat the real thing.

It is a simple concept, I know, to eat real food, to drink plenty of water and to give your vitamins their vitamins. But it is difficult to live and practice this simple concept with all of the sugared, salted, brined, enriched, processed foods that are marketed as 'natural', 'healthy' and 'good'.  The best way to know you are getting natural, healthy, good food is to choose the foods without the labels.  After you shop, before you eat, remember to wash your hands.  See you tomorrow~