We encourage you to eat the right fats and oils improving your health from the inside out. But which is the best oil for cooking? What are good fats? Chances are you probably thought you already knew the answer and would come out with something like vegetable cooking oil or sunflower cooking oil, right? Wrong! For those of you that need convincing or simply wish to learn more there are links to scientific papers, articles and fact sheets at the bottom of this page. So lets look in practical terms at bad fat good fat:Cooking in Oil - Cooking in Fat
What is the best oil for deep frying? Coconut Oil has dozens of uses aside from being an ideal oil for frying (both deep and shallow) including roasting due to its high smoke point. In the UK you will find this in Indian/Asian shops at a good price. In the US palm oil is also used however finding a good supplier at attractive prices may is more difficult in the UK. These are non-animal saturated fats and unrefined forms are ideal. We also advocate you explore the following saturated animal fats for HOT uses: butter, ghee (clarified butter) (we find this in the major supermarkets) lard (try your butcher), tallow, chicken fat (schmaltz), lamb fat, duck fat and full fat dairy (for example if you poach white fish lightly in milk). We also save the scrappy bits from the bottom of a roasting tin or from bacon and use them to cook in and they taste amazing, we forget!
Dipping Oils
For COLD uses like dipping and drizzling choose olive oil and nut oil (walnut, pecan, macademia), avocado, nuts and seeds including nut and seed butter (yum). Use these in salads for dressings, it tastes good to make a dressing using extra virgin olive oil and pour over roasted vegetables with a kick of balsamic vinegar: excites the taste buds in a most unusual way!
What are Bad Fats
Don't use unsaturated fats like canola oil, corn oil, vegetable cooking oil, sunflower cooking oil, safflower cooking oil. These are all highly processed and oxidise easily in light, air or heat. Stay clear of trans fats, these are the man made fats found in things like 'I can't believe it's not butter' , 'benecol' , 'bertolli' and 'flora pro.activ' - although marketed as healthy these are particularly bad, not to mention how much that stuff costs?
You can read a summary of bad fat good fat here, feel free to download a copy for your kitchen while you get used to and understand - what are good fats.
The key is to increase your uptake of good saturated fat in your diet. If you don't do this you will become grumpy and morose as you cut sugar and grains from your meals. We have watched quite a few struggle with the notion that fat is key to the paleo diet, that fat is key to life. We say eat fat and get fit. We say eat fat and and feel fuller for longer. We say eat fat and feel satisfied in a way you will not have experienced for a long time. Try it and see. This is key to sustaining the paleo diet, so call it what you like: Paleo-works!
Related Links:
What if it's all been a big fat lie - Gary Taubes (New York Times)
The Myths and Truths about cholesterol - Weston Price
Trans Fats v Saturated Fats - Weston Price
Saturated Fat: Is it really bad for you?
Weston Price - Why Butter is Better
The Fat Magnet - Amusing Product