Meat or vegetarian foods, both have to know the types of fats that occur in the meals. Vegetarian cooking does have the upper hand, though, when it comes to the balance of "good" and "bad" fats.
In vegetarian cooking as opposed to cooking with meats is that meat eaters do consume a lot more fats not only from the meat but also from the other animal products. Vegetarian foods, on the other hand, do not contain the same excess which means that vegetarians who have a balanced and varied diet do not seem to have the same weight issues as meat eaters.
In say that, it is important to realize that there are plenty of vegetarian foods that are sources of saturated fat and, like the meat eater, the vegetarian should eat these foods in moderation.
It is generally know that dairy foods such as cheese and cream carry a fair amount of fat, but did you know that coconut oil which is used in a lot of commercial baking is another source. Take this a bit further with coconut milk and coconut cream which is used in curries and other vegetarian cooking and you have yourself another source.
Children need more fat than adults because they are growing but they can obtain it from a range of nutritious vegetarian foods such as milk, avocados, peanut butter, yogurt and cheese.
Fatty acids are essential to the formation of cells in the body especially in the nervous system, therefore we all need some fat in the diet. It certainly is not wise to eliminate all fats but eating a variety of foods will supply the body with all the fats it needs without any adverse effect.
Healthy fats come from both plants and animals. The animal fats that can be used in vegetarian cooking (not vegan) are dairy products and egg yolks. Plants provide oils and margarine has the hard vegetable fats made from them. Fats containing fatty acids include olive and other vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, avocados and grains. These are far better fats than the ones found in fried take-away foods, cakes, biscuits, chocolate and ice-cream.
Kinds of Fats:
Saturated fats. These fats which are found mostly in animal foods such as lard, dripping and butter are thought to raise the level of the harmful type of cholesterol in the blood and lower the amount of beneficial type. Saturated fats solidify at room temperature.
Polyunsaturated fats. These include vegetable oils like safflower, sunflower, corn and soy bean oil. These fats are still being studied but it is believed that they lower the overall amount of cholesterol in the blood. They are liquid at room temperature but can be chemically processed into margarine.
It is interesting to note that large quantities of polyunsaturated fats can also oxidize to form free radicals in the blood. This can result in tissue damage and contribute to the formation of plaque on the artery walls. Vegetarian cooking is beneficial here as by eating lots of fruits and vegetables (good source of antioxidants) reduces this effect.
Monounsaturated fats. It is very interesting to note that these fats are becoming more popular as studies have shown that people in countries like Spain and Italy have a lower incidence of heart disease. The so-called Mediterranean diet is high in olive oil and low in dairy fats.
These kinds of fats reduce the levels of "bad" cholesterol and increase "good" cholesterol thus protecting against heart disease. Other sources of this good fat are rapeseed oil, hazelnuts, almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, avocado, sesame and pumpkin seeds.
Vegetarian foods certainly do have the upper hand when it comes to good sources of fats. However, like all cooking, vegetarian cooking must provide balanced and nutritious meals in order for the health and wellness of the body.
Jane Hartwood is a mother of three and grandmother of two who enjoys vegetarian cooking. Read her story on Becoming Vegetarian.
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