Fats

I quit using margarine about 5 years ago. It never sat right with me, the idea that it's been made up in a lab in order to be like butter. Any recipe you see on my blog will only use fats that I will use myself and like the sugar alternatives, it's anything as whole and natural as I can get. I would really encourage anyone reading this to do some research on fats. There seems to be this general idea floating around that butter is BAD and will cause heart problems and high cholesterol ect. But consider what people ate 100 years ago, there was no margarine or canola oil, there was butter and lard. That was the time when heart disease was very uncommon, and now it's one of our biggest causes of death...does this not add up to anyone else? This is something I feel strongly about in what I've decided for myself. I can't tell you what is best for you, everybody is different (health issues wise). I would just encourage you to look into it for yourself and look at where you're getting those fats from in your diet. (Donuts and fries = not a good source of fat!)

It's like anything else in our lives. Moderation is the key. Moderate amounts of good fats are NOT BAD! So here's what you'll see in my recipes:

Butter

Butter is 50% saturated fat. That's the stuff they say is bad. But saturated fat is primarily what makes up every cell membrane in our body. It's a liver detoxifier and protector, it helps build calcium in your bones (because saturated fat helps it absorb properly), and it enhances our immune systems. Butter is high calorie, but that's why I say moderation!

Per 1 tbsp:  100kcal

Coconut Oil

I've heard a lot about coconut oil and the benefits of it lately. It seems to be the latest health craze. It has a very high smoke point, making it good to cook with and it is claimed to be good for your heart, metabolism and for people who have trouble absorbing fats. Coconut oil is very high in saturated fat (92%! This is why I don't understand how butter gets such a bad rap!) It is important to get virgin due to the processing.

Per 1 tbsp: 120 kcal

Olive Oil

I won't use a lot of olive oil in my baking since it changes the taste of things considerably! But I consider it a very good source of fat, it has a high smoke point like coconut oil and it is minimally processed if you get extra virgin olive oil. 

Per 1 tbsp: 100 kcal

Fat Alternatives

Peanut Butter 

Anytime you see peanut butter in my recipes, it will be all natural peanut butter. Sometimes I miss the regular stuff but I figure I can do without the added sugar, salt and two kinds of oil (one of them hydrogenated!). If you aren't allergic to it and you like the taste of it, it's a wonderful thing to add to your baking! It's good for you too, it's full of protein and has folate, vitamin E and magnesium. 

Per 1 tbsp: 100 kcal

Applesauce and Pumpkin Puree

Yes, you are reading this correctly. I have substituted applesauce for oil in quite a few of my recipes (like muffins and granola bars). Just a warning, you can't expect the foods you replace it in to taste like it would if you used oil.  It will taste different (or as my husband puts it, "fruity"), but it is a low calorie healthy option if you are wanting to go for that. I'm sure you noticed all the other fats are around 100 calories each, applesauce is more like 100 calories per cup and pumpkin around 80 calories per cup. I make my own and either freeze or can it so I know what goes into it. In some of my recipe's I'll try to experiment with using fats OR with a fruit option so you can choose if you want that option. It might taste different but on the other hand you'll be getting a different kind of nutritional benefit from it!

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