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Health food... sigh

post #1 of 13
5/4/09 at 12:33am
Thread Starter 
Every time I come home, I cook a big meal for the whole family. They are always pleased but lately have been giving me a lot of flack about my use of butter and bacon fat. I see nothing wrong with indulging every once in a while, or in this case, once a week or less.

Opinions/tips?
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post #2 of 13
5/4/09 at 2:22am
I live my life by the adage of 'moderation in all things' - butter won't kill you.... KILOS of butter most certainly will!
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post #3 of 13
5/4/09 at 2:44am
That's easy :) Take the butter and the bacon fat away for a week - they'll miss it. Moderation in moderation. One day a week (or less) can't hurt - I reckon it helps to cut loose with a good dose of butter once a week, then steam/ grill/ etc and be fat minimalist for the rest of the week. It's mental health day on fat day :)

(Oh lordy, we had such a nice dessert last night. Shop bought pavlova, smothered in chantilly cream and assorted berries, bit of passionfruit pulp on the plate. That was my fix for the week. And I don't normally do sweets.)
 Don't handicap your children by making their lives easy.
Robert A. Heinlein
 
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post #4 of 13
5/4/09 at 4:44am
Easy to criticize, LET THEM DO IT:lol:
CHEFED
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post #5 of 13
5/4/09 at 9:30am
Different people have a different tolerance for food. I can eat beef stew on a hot summer july night. Others would rather not. I would love to eat butter, cream, etc. every night of the week... but I simply can't so I eat it in moderation. My husband on the other hand does not like butter or cream, or any kind of heavy food. It doesn't appeal to him ever. His idea of being bad is curling up on the couch with some dried fruit. So you can't expect your family to eat something heavy if they don't want to. I'm sure you can find healthier ways to cook for your family, something that they will enjoy.... and save the heavy stuff for an audience that will appreciate it.

PS: Although I'm not scared of calories and fat I can never bring myself to cook anything in bacon fat. It's too much fat even for me.
In a nutshell
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post #6 of 13
5/4/09 at 4:28pm
Thread Starter 
is it really much worse than butter?
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post #7 of 13
5/4/09 at 4:43pm
All fats have essentially the same calories per gram. About 100 per tbsp. I believe. If you're fretting cholesterol, that's another matter.
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post #8 of 13
5/4/09 at 5:54pm
My question is: is butter unhealthy?
First of all, not everyone has high cholesterol.
Second, does ingesting butter increase cholesterol? What i've read indicates that research shows that it is not the factor that does but rather other kinds of fats (like margarine has) do that.
"Siduri said, 'Gilgamesh, where are you roaming? You will never find the eternal life that you seek...Savour your food, make each of your days a delight, ... let music and dancing fill your house, love the child who holds you by the hand and give your wife pleasure in your embrace.'"
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post #9 of 13
5/5/09 at 5:59am
Butter contains cholesterol as it's an animal product. Doctors usually advise people with high cholesterol to limit their intake of animal fats. Margarines with hydrogenated fats have been shown to elevate bad cholesterol even though they don't contain any themselves. My wife has high cholesterol and has been advised to watch her butter intake, she's also been told to stay away from margarines and other preparations that contain hydrogenated fats. I have normal cholesterol and weight and eat all the butter I want. Seems to me like it's mostly a function of genetics. So you can't really say one way or another that butter is "bad". Depends on how a person's body processes it.
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post #10 of 13
5/5/09 at 7:02am
Although I love fat as much as anybody else, there are always ways to accommodate your friends and family by providing tasty lower-fat and sodium meals.

As for butter and bacon fat, animal fats generally contain higher amounts of saturated fats out of all of our normal cooking greases (though beware of palm oil and coconut oil). Although the actual effect of the saturated fats on the amount of cholesterol in the bloodstream and its relation to heart disease is sometimes disputed it is generally considered a less healthy form of fatty acid than the benefittial poly- and mono-unsaturated fats.

I figure that if the family has a legitimate concern it's usually a good idea to meet with them half-way. Reduce the amount of butter and animal fats in your cooking, and switch to other oils. Many cuisines use oils rich in poly and mono-unsaturated fats so it might be a good idea to cook those sorts of cuisines to assuage the fears of your family. I know that my family is similar in that regard and are sometimes pretty obstinate, so I find that compromise is a good solution.
"If it's chicken, chicken a la king. If it's fish, fish a la king. If it's turkey, fish a la king." -Bender
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post #11 of 13
5/5/09 at 7:18am
here is what ya do, make a nice lunch of sloppy joes on one platter and some lovely grated carrots between toast points on another, see which one the whiners go for first.

Also we in America have been using margarine and the french keep using butter, we have 3 times the heart disease and fat issues then they do. I don't think its just because of the wine.
"In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri. "
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post #12 of 13
5/5/09 at 7:45am
Perhaps also the French don't eat as massive portions as the Americans so and don't spend most of their day sitting on their can in front of the TV or computer.
"If it's chicken, chicken a la king. If it's fish, fish a la king. If it's turkey, fish a la king." -Bender
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post #13 of 13
5/5/09 at 7:51am
perhaps, perhaps..perhaps:D
"In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri. "
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