Double Delicious (31 page)
SATURATED FAT
is solid at room temperature and is found in animal products like butter, full-fat dairy products, meats, and in some vegetable oils, such as palm, palm kernel, and coconut oil. Most of us eat saturated fats every day in red meats and dairy products and such packaged goods as cookies, cakes, crackers, and dairy creamers. A little saturated fat is fine; diets high in saturated fats can raise bad cholesterol and may increase your risk of heart disease.
UNSATURATED FAT
is liquid at room temperature and is classified in two categories: polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These fats come from vegetable sources, so they contain no cholesterol (unlike most of the saturated fats, which come from animal sources). Replacing saturated fat in our diet with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats appears to have many health benefits.
Polyunsaturated fats
appear in corn, safflower, soybean, sunflower, and sesame oils and in fish. Monounsaturated fats are in most nuts, peanut oil, sesame seed oil, canola oil, olive oil, and avocados. Saturated and unsaturated fats have the same number of calories, around 120 per tablespoon.
Omega-3 fatty acids
are a type of polyunsaturated fat that are often singled out because they may help protect against heart disease and reduce inflammation, which is associated with heart disease, arthritis, and strokes. The best sources of omega-3 fatty acids come from fish, such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and herring. Nonfish sources of omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, flaxseed, and some green vegetables, such as kale, spinach, and salad greens, and canola and soybean oils.
TRANS FAT
. Trans fats appear to raise your blood cholesterol level more than any other fat. Although a very small amount of trans fat is found naturally in meat and dairy products, most trans fat that is of health concern is made through an industrial process called hydrogenation which changes oil to be more solid. Food manufacturers love this type of fat, also known as partially hydrogenated fat, because it makes baked goods crispy, oils and fats more spreadable, and extends the shelf life of processed foods. Unfortunately, our hearts don’t!
The food label will reveal if there is trans fat in the product. It’s mostly found in cookies, crackers, and other packaged baked goods and commercially fried foods like French fries and doughnuts. If you see “partially hydrogenated fat” near the top of the ingredients list or any grams of trans fat in the nutritional panel, look for an alternative product. Ultimately, the best way to avoid unhealthy trans fats is to eat fewer processed foods. Preparing your own food means you are less likely to include unhealthy fats in your diet.
BOTTOM LINE
A key to eating better is to reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet and keep trans fats as low as possible. Replace fatty cuts of meat and full-fat dairy with lean cuts of meat and poultry, fish, low-fat dairy products, heart healthy fats like olive oil, canola oil, wheat germ, avocado, nuts and seeds, and of course plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and beans.
Special and endless thanks go to Jennifer Rudolph Walsh at WME, Mary Ellen O’Neill at HarperCollins, John Smallwood at Smallwood & Stewart, Amy Harte and Merideth Harte Londagin at 3&Co, Jennifer Iserloh, Luc Turbier, Olivia Dupin, Tom Keaney, Joy Bauer, Lisa Sasson, Lisa Hubbard, Steve Vance, Anne Disrude, Deborah Williams, Orin (and Jeremy) Snyder, Larry Shire, Jonathan Ehrlich, Laura K. O’Boyle, Shelby Meizlik, Keleigh Thomas, Katherine Snider, the team at Baby Buggy, and the amazing Ricardo Souza.
Thanks to all the stores and shops, large and small, online and off, that were so very supportive of
Deceptively Delicious
. Not least, of course, I’m grateful to all my readers. From casual passersby to those of you who wrote or emailed, I truly appreciate your enthusiasm and support. I hope you find this book equally as helpful.
Finally, an enormous thank you goes to my husband and children, my grandmother, my parents, my sisters and their families, and many friends for tasting, re-tasting and weighing in on every recipe and detail of this book.
In her bestselling book
Deceptively Delicious
, Jessica Seinfeld inspired millions of parents to improve their kids’ eating habits by giving everyday classics a nutritional boost with hidden vegetable purees. Now in
Double Delicious!
, she’s turned her attention to the whole family. Here are more of her easy, imaginative recipes that use the power of purees to make everything healthier, from a hearty Turkey Meatloaf to an irresistible Tiramisu. Again, she’s raised the bar nutritionally and eliminated unnecessary sugar and fat, boosted fiber and nutrients, and cut way back on sodium to bring us more healthful food with fantastic flavor. (She’s even developed a Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie that nutritionist Joy Bauer loves!) Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Illustrations © 2010 Steve Vance
Photographs © 2010 Lisa Hubbard
Food styling: Ann Disrude
Prop styling: Deborah Williams
This book is intended to be informational and should not be considered a substitute for advice from a medical professional or nutritionist. The author and the publisher expressly disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects arising from the use or application of the information contained in this book.
DOUBLE DELICIOUS
. Copyright © 2010 Raspberry Patch, LLC. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is available upon request.
EPub Edition © July 2010 ISBN: 978-0-06-201843-4
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