Like many Americans, you may be confused by all of the buzz about butter recently, especially in the wake of Mark Bittman’s controversial NYT column “Butter is Back.” All the talk (and for many of us, confusion) is inspired by a recent meta-analysis published in the Annals of Internal Medicine which looked at over 70 published reports and found that saturated fat is not the culprit in heart disease.
Whoah, wait a minute – are they saying that bacon, cheese, and red meat have nothing to do with heart disease? Yes they are. And this is surprising because ever since the 1950s the medical community has said the opposite, and fats like butter have been demonized. The whole “low fat” is better craze in the ‘80s and ‘90s unfortunately led a lot of people to replace saturated fats like butter and bacon with sugary processed carbs like Snackwells and with margarine, which we now know is loaded with unhealthy trans-fats. Thankfully, the pendulum is swinging back towards a more moderate approach which allows for natural fats – including meat, dairy, and plant fats – to have their place in a balanced diet.
So where does this leave us as parents who want to serve healthy foods to our kids? Is fried food now ok ? Is a fatty steak dinner drizzled in butter now a healthy option? What about full fat cheese, nuts, bacon?
Good questions! To help you out, I’ve prepared a cheat sheet about Fats and answers to some commonly asked questions. (And psst, when in doubt, remember Michael Pollan’s “Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”)
The Three Kinds of Fats
Trans-Fats: No controversy here, the evidence in the study is very strong that trans fats are BAD for your heart and should be avoided. That is because they are processed. Watch out for the artificial (man-made) trans fats used to enhance flavor and prolong the shelf-life of processed foods like margarine, packaged baked products, baking mixes and frostings. And avoid battered and fried foods too. While many fast-food chains have stopped using hydrogenated oil (a trans fat) to fry food, others still do. Thankfully, many manufacturers now are finding ways to reduce and eliminate trans fats in their foods. Always look for 0 grams of trans fats on your food labels.
Saturated Fats: Natural saturated fats found in butter, eggs, meat, and cheese can be part of a healthy diet. The meta-study concluded that saturated fat has no effect on cardiovascular disease risk. But the old adage “Everything in moderation” is key. Bittman and others who are now trying to “butter you up” are not saying that everyone should go out and eat butter instead of a salad. Like any other food, you should eat butter and other foods in moderation. High fat foods are packed with calories and can be detrimental to our waistline!
Unsaturated Fats: The metastudy showed that, contrary to common belief, people who consume higher levels of unsaturated fats (including mono and poly) did not have any reduced risk of heart disease. Mono- and poly-unsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature and include a number of vegetable oils like olive, canola, corn, safflower. They are also abundant in nuts, seeds, and avocadoes. Like any fat, they are high in calories but also provide nutrients and vitamin E.
Commonly Asked Questions About Fat
What’s so great about Omega 3 fats and What are they?
Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats found in fish and some plants. Omega-3s, in particular, are known to be extremely beneficial in preventing heart disease and are also essential to normal growth and health. Because the human body cannot synthesize them, they are considered “essential” to a healthy diet; we must consume them. They are particularly abundant in oils found in fish and certain seeds like flaxseeds, hemp, and chia.
If you find it difficult to get enough omega-3s in your family’s diet (from fatty fish like salmon or halibut, flaxseeds, walnuts), you can purchase foods fortified with omega-3 such as eggs, milk, soy milk and yogurt, or talk to your pediatrician or dietitian about an omega-3 supplement. Look for manufacturers that do quality and safety testing on their products. Check for USP on labels or use reputable manufacturers that conduct their own testing (always call the company to inquire).
What about the Fats in Grass Fed vs. Grain-Fed Beef?
It is always best to purchase organic animal products such as meats, poultry, eggs and dairy. This is because these animals receive 100% organic feed products, no antibiotics, no growth hormones and have access to the outdoors for free range. Grass-fed beef is leaner and has up to five times the amount of healthy Omega-3 Fats. Look for USDA organic labeling on these products.
Is it Better to Cook with Olive Oil or Butter (or something else)?
The simple answer is both are ok in moderation, though I would lean towards vegetable oils over butter (you can also use a blend of butter and oil for a compromise). Although consuming higher amounts of vegetable oils have not been proven to help reduce the risk of heart disease, they do contain many other health benefits. First of all, vegetable oils are the primary source of Vitamin E, an antioxidant that fight free radicals, so may help to keep us looking and feeling younger and may help reduce the risk of many cancers. Vegetable oils are also higher in ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) than butter , which may help to protect the heart by its positive effect on blood pressure and reducing inflammation.
Whether you want to use butter, olive oil, or other vegetable oils when cooking depends in part upon the smoke point. (The smoke point is that moment when heat damage to some of the components in a fat or oil is sufficient to become visible in the form of smoke and generates toxic compounds. When it comes to our health, heating above smoke point is not a good idea with any oil or fat.) Vegetable oils have a higher smoke point than butter, and ghee (clarified butter used in Indian cooking) is higher than most vegetable oils! So if you’re gently sauteeing shrimp on low heat, you can use virgin olive oil or butter, but if you’re stir frying them in a super hot wok, use a vegetable oil.
What about Dairy?
It’s safest to follow the American Academy of Pediatric’s guidelines for milk consumption. This includes offering whole milk between the ages of 1- to 2 years old, and 1% or skim milk after the age of 2. If your toddler is overweight or there is a strong history of obesity or early heart disease in your family, offer your toddler 2% milk until they turn 2 years old, then make sure you switch to 1% or skim.
So, throw out your margarine and trans-fat containing foods! Enjoy the taste of butter again and always give your best effort to feeding your family natural foods (organic meats and dairy, whole grains, beans and legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables.) Keep in mind that no parent is perfect, and any healthier change you can make to your family’s diet will be beneficial!
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