by Vicki Peel | Jun 9, 2022 | Food |
Is you snacking healthy? Try packing your snacks for the day, like this!
What about you? How are you managing your snacking? Is it an issue for you? Comment!
Don’t miss any of the posts, emails, and freebies of this March – June exploration of the world of food, which covers meal planning, meal prep, and making healthy food choices. Click on the Subscribe button on this page so you won’t miss any of the action.
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything during our March – June foods extravaganza!!
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by Vicki Peel | May 30, 2022 | Food |
Can you name the 5 best cooking oils for your health?
And are you cooking with any of them?
I suppose I need to list the 5 best cooking oils for your health before you can answer those two questions!
The 5 best cooking oils for your health, in no particular order, are:
- Avocado oil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Macadamia nut oil
- Almond oil
To list the reasons these oils are good for you, we need to refer to the previous blog post, “The 5 Worst Cooking Oils for Your Health” and the 4 factors to consider when purchasing cooking oil.
Taking into account the 4 factors related to purchasing oils, the best cooking oils for your health would have:
- A high smoke point,
- No GMOs,
- Healthy omega 3 fatty acids, and
- Minimal processing.
And here is how these 5 best cooking oils stack up to the 4 factors.
Avocado oil has a high smoke point and monosaturated omega 3 fatty acids. It also has antioxidants, polyphenols, and carotenoids, and that means it has properties shown to prevent disease and slow the aging process. Purchasing cold-pressed, unrefined avocado oil optimizes its beneficial qualities.
Avocado oil is one of my go-to oils! I love its versatility and the fact that it doesn’t flavor foods cooked with it. The first avocado oil I purchased was very expensive, but I’ve since found one that I like a lot – Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil! Click on the name to check it out. It is cold-pressed and minimally refined, which means the process was done via centrifuge and not high heat.
The next good cooking oil is probably the one you guessed first – extra virgin olive oil. The smoke point of olive oil is lower that avocado oil but is still pretty stable. Olive oil is full of antioxidants and monounsaturated fats, which may allow it to stay stable at higher levels of heat.
Look for cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil to ensure the antioxidants were not damaged in processing.
There are also a lot of “fake” olive oils on the market, which makes it difficult to select a really good one. So you may want to do a little research before purchasing.
I like Costco’s Kirkland extra virgin olive oil. It is very reasonably priced, certified organic by the USDA, and was rated 5-stars by 73% of purchasers who reviewed it. If you are not near a Costco, it is listed on Amazon, though not available right now, but you can check it out here.
Amazon does show an alternative olive oil to the Kirkland brand, which was listed as very good in one of my sources, Amazon Fresh Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
A good extra virgin olive oil is sensitive to light and should be used with a few months of purchase. Notice how bottles of olive oil are packaged in opaque or dark glass. Your olive oil should be stored in a cool, dark place.
The third good cooking oil is coconut oil. Unrefined, cold-pressed coconut oil is best. Coconut oil contains MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides), which are fatty acids that may help with weight loss and cholesterol. Although there has been some disagreement about the health benefits of coconut oil, most sources still recommend it used in moderation.
Unlike most other oils, refined coconut oil is still good for you, and a major draw of refined coconut oil is that is doesn’t have the coconut taste in cooking. Here are two good ones to check out: 1) Vita Coco Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil can be found at Wal-Mart and Walgreens; and 2) Nutiva Refined Coconut Oil (Amazon link). Nutiva can also be found at Wal-Mart and Target.
The final two best cooking oils are macadamia nut oil and almond oil, which are less prevalent in the marketplace, but still available.
Check out macadamia nut oil at Amazon, (the highest rated macadamia nut oil by Consumer Reports) and the second highest rated macadamia nut oil by Consumer Reports is also available at Amazon. Wal-Mart carries macadamia nut oil, but I couldn’t verify its quality.
Almond oil is recommended more for skin and hair care than for cooking. See this highly rated almond oil (by bestreviews.com) at Amazon.
What are your thoughts now about the oil you are cooking with? Do you have any concerns?
Some of the links to the oils listed about are affiliate links, in which I may make a small commission if you should purchase through them. However, other links are simply researched links of where you can purchase the product.
Don’t miss any of the posts, emails, and freebies of this March – June exploration of the world of food, which covers meal planning, meal prep, and making healthy food choices. Click on the Subscribe button on this page so you won’t miss any of the action.
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything during our March – June foods extravaganza!!
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by Vicki Peel | May 28, 2022 | Food |
If you looked no further than this first sentence, could you name the 5 worst cooking oils for your health?
Just guessing, but I would bet that even if you could name them, you still regularly consume at least one of them. And if you eat in restaurants often, you most assuredly consume some of them.
If you research the topic of cooking oils, you will find varying opinions and “facts”. And if you read labels on the food you purchase, you will also find them among the ingredients in many, many foods.
But the oils I list in this post were the ones most named by nutritionists as being bad for your health. I also spoke with a Certified Nutrition & Wellness Consultant to verify that these cooking oils are not healthy ones.
In no particular order, these are the 5 worst cooking oils listed by reputable sources:
- Sunflower seed oil
- Canola oil
- Palm oil
- Corn oil
- Soybean oil
You may be surprised to see canola oil and corn oil, probably because in the past they have been purported to be healthy oils for cooking. And you might think that “vegetable” oils would be healthy. But don’t let that terminology fool you.
Let’s back up and talk about what you should consider when choosing a cooking oil. There are 4 main factors that affect the healthiness of a cooking oil. (If you want more information on any of the following factors, just click on the underlined term.)
The first is smoke point. That means when an oil with a low smoke point is heated to high temperatures, it becomes oxidized and damaged, causing it to generate free radicals. Free radicals in your body can cause inflammation, raise cholesterol levels, and contribute to the development of cancer.
Therefore, for cooking at high temperatures, you need an oil with a high smoke point because it remains stable at high temperatures.
The next factor to consider is fatty acid ratio. The most important fatty acid ratio to consider is omega 6 (polyunsaturated) fatty acids to omega 3 (monounsaturated) fatty acids. You may have noticed labels that tout omega 3 fatty acids in them, such as eggs.
Omega 6 fatty acids are very common in foods, and while that is not a bad thing, it is easy to overeat a high ratio of omega 6 fatty acids to omega 3 fatty acids, which can cause inflammation in the body
What you should be aiming for is a more balanced ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids, which may mean you need more omega 3 fatty acids added to your diet.
The third factor to consider when choosing a cooking oil is GMOs. Corn and soybean oils are very likely to be GMO (genetically modified organisms), as 94% of cooking oils from these two sources in the U.S. are genetically modified. Genetically engineering these crops makes them more resistant to herbicides and pesticides that are sprayed on crops to prevent weeds and bugs from attacking them.
Although we still don’t know the long-term effects of GMOs, there is enough evidence to support avoiding them altogether.
The final factor that should affect our choice of cooking oil is how they are produced and processed. Many oils are extracted by using high heat and/or chemicals. This means they may become oxidized (see smoke point information above) before being bottled.
Therefore, the safest oils should be unrefined to preserve their nutritional benefits.
So, if the aforementioned oils are bad for your health, what should you do?
Check out my next post on “The 5 Best Cooking Oils for Your Health”!
Don’t miss any of the posts, emails, and freebies of this March – June exploration of the world of food, which covers meal planning, meal prep, and making healthy food choices. Click on the Subscribe button on this page so you won’t miss any of the action.
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything during our March – June foods extravaganza!!
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by Vicki Peel | May 25, 2022 | Food |
What about it? IS breakfast the most important meal of the day?
It depends.
The data show that breakfast eaters are generally healthier and leaner than breakfast skippers. But that may be because the breakfast eaters have healthier lifestyles anyway.
Another important issue to consider is what you are eating for breakfast. A muffin or doughnut as you run out the door in the morning is not contributing to the argument for eating breakfast. The old breakfast staple – cereal – can be added to the poor breakfast choice category. Most cereals today have lots of added sugar, not to mention flavorings and preservatives we may not even be able to pronounce!
Many of the reasons breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day still hold true. Breakfast eaters may:
- find that breakfast jumpstarts your metabolism, helping your burn more calories throughout the day
- tend to have a lower BMI
- consume less fat through the day
- meet recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption
- have higher daily calcium intake
- have higher daily fiber intake
- reduction of “brain fog”
Perhaps one of the most important reasons to eat breakfast is how it affects performance for school-aged children. Children who eat a nutritious breakfast have better memory and attention at school. They may also be less cranky. One study showed that children who ate breakfast had higher test scores.
Lack of available time in the mornings is a common complaint of busy moms who are struggling to get everyone dressed and out of the house on time for school and work.
But lack of time doesn’t have to be an issue. It simply takes a little planning. Breakfast doesn’t have to be a full sit-down meal every day.
Here are a few nutritious breakfast ideas that are nutritious and time-savers:
- Mason jar oatmeal breakfasts prepared the night before and refrigerated.
- Whole-grain cereals with fresh fruit
- Fresh fruit and raw nuts
- Hard-cooked eggs (commonly referred to as boiled eggs, although boiling actually toughens them)
- Smoothies with high-quality protein powder and fresh fruits or vegetables
- Greek yogurt with fresh fruit for added sweetness and raw nuts for crunchiness
- High-fiber whole grain toast with natural nut butter
What if you don’t feel hungry in the morning? Then you shouldn’t stress over it. Just be sure to eat nutritious foods at other meals throughout the day.
Some people skip breakfast because their eating patterns include intermittent fasting, which has been shown to be a healthy way to manage your weight.
Take a look at this video. My husband demonstrates one of his favorite quick and easy breakfast options.
Are you a breakfast eater? What concerns do you have about eating breakfast?
Whether or not you eat breakfast is not as important as optimizing your nutritional choices in other meals throughout the day.
Don’t miss any of the posts, emails, and freebies of this March – June exploration of the world of food, which covers meal planning, meal prep, and making healthy food choices. Click on the Subscribe button on this page so you won’t miss any of the action.
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything during our March – June foods extravaganza!!
https://HERLifeHacks.com
by Vicki Peel | May 19, 2022 | Food |
Preparing vegetables is about the least interesting topic I can think of!
What a way to start a blog post about something I’m supposed to know something about and share it with you enthusiastically!
I wonder if my dislike for vegetables comes from the fact that every day of my life growing up, my Grandmama served string beans (that’s green beans for non-southerners) and boiled potatoes! I didn’t like them then and I haven’t changed much.
Soon after I was married, I found myself as the “cook” for the tobacco crowd. Translation/explanation: my husband and I worked the summers helping his parents “put in” tobacco. Of course, you needed a crew of people to get that done, and my mother-in-law served them lunch, as was the custom back then.
When I asked my mother-in-law how to prepare something, usually vegetables, her reply was “just put them in the pot and boil them”! And that was basically the way our parents and everyone else cooked vegetables. And they were often cooked to mush!
But now, there are so many ways to cook vegetables that bring out their flavors so much better than boiling them! And with appliances like the Instant Pot and air fryer, it is much easier to cook vegetables and the flavors are better preserved.
You’ve probably heard this phrase about how to eat healthy – “eat the rainbow”. It is referring to all the brightly-colored vegetables you should eat to get the variety of nutrients you need to be healthy.
When reading about nutrition and healthy eating, the trend today is to eat more plant-based foods. And it’s more than a trend. Eating more plant-based foods is not a fad. It is the basis for building a healthier body. And more and more people are embracing that concept.
This is such an important topic, even if vegetables are not my favorite foods. So, I went to the experts for the best information and advice about vegetables – selecting, preparing, and the nutritional benefits of including more vegetables into your daily diet.
When it comes to nutrition and healthy eating, my go-to source is my friend, Cheryl A. Major. Cheryl is a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Coach, and I encourage you to read her excellent post about plant-based foods on her website, Thin, Strong and Healthy.
If you would like to know more about eating plant-based foods, check out Cheryl’s post, “Plant-Based Diet”. Read it HERE!
And if you’re interested in how to prepare vegetables for more variety in your cooking, I suggest you read the post about preparing vegetables from Denise at Sweet Peas and Saffron. It is a comprehensive article about how to prep vegetables with great links to recipes and additional information. It is a great reference article! Check out “How to Meal Prep Vegetables” by clicking HERE!
What’s your favorite way to prepare vegetables? Do you have a go-to recipe? Leave your comments below!
Don’t miss any of the posts, emails, and freebies of this March – June exploration of the world of food, which covers meal planning, meal prep, and making healthy food choices. Click on the Subscribe button on this page so you won’t miss any of the action.
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything during our March – June foods extravaganza!!
https://HERLifeHacks.com
