Let's talk about fat! After all, it is an essential ingredient in pretty much every healthy recipe. In this blog post, you'll learn why you should declare fat your friend instead of your enemy. I'll also introduce you to my favorite oils and explain which types are particularly good for your health. At the end of the blog post, I share with you a delicious recipe for a pomegranate apple crumble. Would you have thought that this crumble recipe contains many healthy fats?? This is how delicious and healthy our macronutrient building block "fat "can be in your kitchen.
Not all fats are the same!
Fat is the most caloric of all macronutrients. Because while proteins and carbohydrates each provide 4 calories per gram, fat comes to a whopping 9 calories. Nevertheless, nutrition societies recommend ca. cover a quarter to a third of your daily energy intake with fat.
Why it is so?
On the one hand fats saturate for a long time. Compared to carbohydrates, they do not cause blood sugar levels to rise during digestion, thus preventing cravings. On the other hand, fat is important for the body to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Furthermore, the body needs edible fats to obtain energy from them and to store it. Fats also help build cells because their membranes are made up of small pieces of them – lipids. As you can see: Without fat, our body would be pretty much lost. On top of that, our food would taste only half as good without fat. You probably know it: Fat is a flavor carrier. Thus it enriches salad sauces, makes preparation kinds possible such as roast as well as deep-frying and makes fat-rich food such as nuts, seeds and seeds correctly tasty.
Saturated vs. unsaturated fatty acids
By looking at nutritional tables on packages, you can see at a glance the fat content of foods. The special thing: Here, in addition to the total content, the proportion of saturated. Sometimes also the (poly)unsaturated fats are included. With this simple information you can already decide whether the food in front of you contains healthy or unhealthy fats. After all, a generally high total fat content doesn't have to be unhealthy by any means.
Note: The more unsaturated fats are contained, the better it is. They can have an anti-inflammatory effect. Protect heart as well as blood vessels. Saturated fats, on the other hand, are more likely to damage the heart. Unfavorable to our overall health. In the case of unsaturated fats, a distinction is also made between monounsaturated and unsaturated fats. Differentiate between polyunsaturated variants.
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids belong, for example, to the polyunsaturated group. For this reason, by the way, vegetable oils are considered healthier than animal fats such as butter or lard: They contain plenty of polyunsaturated fats and only a little saturated fat. With one exception! Coconut oil is 92% saturated fat. Therefore, it takes on an extra role. Should not be used as the sole oil in the kitchen.
Best of fat – these oils should not be missing in any kitchen
Rapeseed oil: The German Society for Nutrition recommends using rapeseed oil as a standard oil in the kitchen. The reason is the high content of unsaturated fats and the good ratio in which omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids are found. Another plus: canola oil can be heated to high temperatures. Is perfect for frying.
Olive oil: Olive oil has the image of protecting the heart and circulatory system. Studies have proven exactly this when consumed as part of a Mediterranean diet. It also contains high amounts of vitamin E and polyphenols. When buying, be sure to check that it is labeled extra virgin or. Extra virgin is declared. This is the highest quality grade of olive oil. The white oil is excellent for Asian cuisine. Can be heated on high without hesitation. However, due to its high content of saturated fats, you should not use coconut oil exclusively and definitely alternate it with other oils. With coconut oil it is also important to use native oils, otherwise they taste and smell neutral and not like coconut.
Flax oil: Linseed oil is one of the oils that naturally has the highest content of omega-3 fatty acids. Because of the polyunsaturated fats, you should never heat it, as this destroys their structure and creates substances that are harmful to health. So rather use a tablespoon of linseed oil as a topping. Z.B. for salads or even in muesli, porridge or smoothie.
Food with healthy fat
Besides rapeseed oil, olive oil and co. provide some foods also valuable fats and can help to achieve the consumption recommendations in this regard. Here are a few examples:
Avocado: Avocado contains a proud 15 grams of fat per 100 grams. The content of unsaturated fats is over 90 percent.
Nuts, seeds and seeds: This food group is known for its high fat content. This makes it not only high in calories, but also real brain food.
My Tip: Go for walnuts or almonds more often when you want something to nibble on. These provide a good saturation. Do not let your blood sugar level rise so much when consumed.
Whole grain products: Compared to processed cereal products, whole grain counterparts contain higher amounts of fat – especially polyunsaturated fats.
Conclusion
Fats are part of any healthy diet. In combination with proteins. Carbohydrates they form the basis of all foods. Vegetable fats contain higher amounts of health-promoting unsaturated fats. Should therefore be preferred to those of animal origin. In general, however, the following also applies to fats: long live variety! This way you are well supplied.
Do you fancy trying my recipe for this Pomegranate Apple Crumble? It is baked from all healthy fats and tastes delicious.