Kitchen Stewardship

It's Sunshine Awareness Week at Kitchen Stewardship! I'm burned on half my body as a result of testing natural sunscreens...be sure to check all this week's posts for the scoop on what works, what doesn't, and when (if?) we need sunblock at all, along with over $400 in sun protection giveaways. Check out the natural sunblock review for the scoop.

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Does it ever drive you nuts that candy companies will slap a “Fat Free!” starburst on their packages, tempting sorry dieters to indulge in a snack that is anything but “guilt free?”  I can’t help the sarcastic smirk on my face when I see the words “Fat Free!” emblazoned across sugar-filled indulgences.

What’s the deal with fats?  People are so afraid of consuming fat, likely because they assume they will then become fat.  You are what you eat, right?  Not necessarily, my friends.  The first Food for Thought of the Fat Full Fall at Kitchen Stewardship will cover how fat is metabolized by the body and the role it plays in our bodies.

Some other topics you can look forward to:

• Are Saturated Fats Healthy or Evil?
  • Tips for the Switch to Real Butter
  • Butter vs. Margarine vs. “Healthy” Spreads
  • “Sneaky” Trans Fats
• My Family’s Journey to Full Fat Dairy
  • Powdered Milk and Oxidized Cholesterol
• Polyunsaturated Fats – Are they Healthy?
  • Evils of industrial fats – soybean and corn oil
  • 6 Ways to Reduce your Omega-6 Intake
• Canola Oil: Friend or Foe?
• Fats you Don’t Always Hear About: Coconut Oil, Ghee
  • Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
  • Coconut Oil FAQs and How to Use
  • How to Make Ghee
• Animal Fats:  Tallow, Lard
• Reading the side of your Oil Bottles (Cold-Pressed vs. Expeller-Pressed)
• Baseline Fats:  What Fat do you Use for What Purpose?

For today, let’s start by looking backward.  A few of our Monday Missions have touched on fats.  It’s time to review:

Trans Fats: If there’s one thing you want to learn to avoid in the quest for healthy eating, I’m convinced that this is the winner.  Search Out Trans Fats is a must-read post to make sure you understand the label-reading fiasco surrounding the issue, plus why to avoid them in the first place.

Omega 3s: Americans need more of them, plain and simple.  Read up on health benefits plus the scoop on salmon and flax, two big ways to increase your omega 3s.

• How to Buy Safe Salmon:  Give it a skim if you’re going to increase your omega-3s with salmon.
• How to Use and Store Flax Safely:  Again, skim it if you use it (or want to learn how).

Monounsaturated Fats (healthy fats):  Review the health benefits of monounsaturated fats and some fav foods in this category.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil:  A Super Food Healthy Fat

• How to Buy, Use and Store EVOO (be careful!)
• Can You Sautee with EVOO?

Phew!  Hopefully you’ve already read some of those.  If not and you don’t have time for them all, start with trans fats and EVOO.

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If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.

Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

Visit Food Renegade for more Fight Back Fridays.

Hungry for more? Related posts:

1. A Fat Full Fall: Baseline Fats Chart
2. A Fat Full Fall: Dairy fats – What’s the Moo?
3. Monday Mission: Consider Full Fat Dairy
4. Food for Thought: Canola Oil, a Unique Omega-3…Thumbs up or Thumbs Down???
5. Food for Thought: Fat and Your Body