Gone are the times when eating healthy meant “low-fat” or “fat-free.” That was throwing out the baby with the bath water. The right fats are essential for balanced hormones, stable mood and behavior, healthy skin and heart, keeping inflammation at bay and more. When you cook with healthy oils, getting the right fats is easy.
Keep two vegetable oils in your kitchen: cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and grape seed oil. “Cold pressed, extra virgin” increases the likelihood that the oil is rich in antioxidants and that the fatty acids are not rancid. This kind of olive oil becomes rancid when heated even slightly. So, use it straight out of the bottle in salad dressing, for dipping bread, and drizzled over foods for flavor. Quality oil tastes good. Cook with non-solvent extracted grape seed oil. It tolerates high heat without burning or becoming rancid, unlike other light oils. Rich in antioxidants, it has a mild nutty flavor that you won’t taste in baked goods.
Homemade vinaigrette salad dressing is an easy way to enjoy healthy oils. Mix in a screw top jar 1 tablespoon cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon balsamic or your favorite vinegar. Add ¼ teaspoon brown mustard, if desired. Shake and serve. This recipe serves two to three people. Refrigerate if mustard is used.
This article appeared originally in the February 2005 issue of the Kansas City Wellness Magazine, www.kcwellnessmagazine.com.
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