The four traditional fats you should eat everyday!

Us folks in this real food circle love touting the health benefits of old-fashioned animal fats. More accurately, we passionately sing the praises of these traditional fats to anyone who will read our blogs!

So, with the giddy enthusiasm proper for a real foodie, I want to explain how, when, and why you should use these traditional fats everyday.

 Coconut Oil

Once upon a time, the diet dictocrats did their best to scare consumers away from coconut oil because of its saturated fat content. Now, even supermodels take daily spoonfuls of it. Coconut does boast 13 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon, but that it the beauty of this adaptable lipid!

Coconut oil is mainly MCTs, or medium-chain triglycerides. Studies show that these molecules increase metabolism. Additionally, coconut oil boasts anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, and many use it in the treatment of Candida overgrowth.

How to use Coconut Oil

The saturated fat content of coconut oil makes it heat stable and a perfect candidate for stir frying and sauteeing. I love using it for baking, like in my Ultimate Coconut Flour Pancakes. Since coconut oil is solid at room temperature, simply place a glass jar of coconut oil in a pan of simmering water to liquify it.

I also use coconut oil all over my body after a shower or bath for a natural moisturizer. I even rub a pea-sized drop through wet hair as  leave-in conditioner. It’s the perfect multi-tasking, chemical free beauty product!

Raw, Grass Fed Butter

 Politically correct nutrition hounds consumers to treat butter like an arsenic-laced brick of death. Thankfully, resouces like Nourishing Traditions and the Weston A. Price Foundation provide overwhelming evidence to prove this myth wrong. In a nutshell, your body craves the saturated fats in butter.

But it is important to understand the distinction between conventional butter and healing butter. Conventional butter, found on supermarket shelves, is pasteurized, laced with antibiotics and growth hormones, and produced by confined cows. Look for butter from pastured cows, such as Kerrygold. I buy black market Amish butter which is raw and made by happy grazing cows. And it tastes like liquid gold.

As a matter of fact, I love butter so much I wrote a whole post explaining 5 reasons why butter is a superfood.

How to use raw butter

Savor the creamy sweetness of raw butter spread on pancakes, sprouted breads, or your healthy carb of choice. Stir generous dollops into warm vegetables, soups, and sauces. You can also use it for cooking, but only over low to medium heat–the milk solids in butter burn over high heat. I use a generous amount of butter in my Three Ingredient Coconut Flour Cookies.

Ghee

Ghee is clarified butter, so it contains no casein or lactose. This makes it a perfect solution for getting the CLAs in found in butter without these allergenic components.  You can make your own ghee from unsalted, organic butter. I have made ghee a couple of times, but it is time consuming. I prefer to buy organic ghee from vitacost for a great price.

How to use Ghee

Since ghee contains no milk solids, it makes a perfect fat for sauteeing and stir frying. I usually cook my Ultimate Coconut Flour Pancakes in it. Ghee tastes richer than butter, and makes a great spread for warm pancakes or breads. It also makes a great substitute for butter in baked goods.

Lard

This traditional fat, like butter, has met condemnation from modern dietitians due to it’s saturated fat content. Consumers turned away from this healing fat in favor of waxy, toxic Crisco and hydrogenated margarine. Rediscover this traditional fat in its delicious glory! Lard boasts a high content of vitamin D–the best source of vitamin D after cod liver oil! Just don’t confuse real lard–from happy, pastured hogs–with the foil wrapped sticks of hydrogenated oils you may find in the Hispanic Foods section of large grocery stores. You can also render your own lard.

How to Use Lard

Lard holds up well over high heat, because of the high saturated fat content. It makes a great alternative to rancid plant oils for deep frying. Use it in savory preparations, like sauteeing or cooking eggs. I don’t mind the unique, toasty flavor of lard in my baked goods.

My favorite way to use lard is in my Spiced Coconut Flour Lard Biscuits or Paleo Cornbread Muffins.

Where To Find These Healing Fats

I get my ghee and coconut oil from Vitacost.com, because it is steeply discounted prices and free shipping over $50. I get my lard from the Amish. Lard can be hard to source, and you might try checking with your local Weston A. Price chapter leader to find some near you. As for butter, I recommend Kerrygold (which you can sometimes find at Costco) or Organic Valley Pasture Butter (usually at Whole Foods).

Eat well and heal!

shared at: Freaky Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Gluten Free Friday