High Fat Foods and Recipes

Cooking oils and fats

Fats are not often eaten alone, but instead are often used in small amounts during cooking or maybe as a topping. Here, we'll take a look at how dietary fats might be used within the context of a meal plan.

For cooking, fats should be selected based on smoke point (and different sources might categorize these differently from how I have - I'm sharing which I choose in my cooking with best results). In a nutshell, different fats start to brown, smoke and change flavor (often for the worse) at different temperatures. If you use the wrong type of fat, your food may taste bad. Don't, for example, try to use olive oil for deep-frying or you'll be left with a very bitter taste (and wonder how people could possibly enjoy olive oil, if it's your first encounter with it).

Low smoke point fats (olive oil, butter, sesame oil, unrefined coconut oil): Use these oils to finish a dish, like at the end of a stir-fry, use to top already cooked foods like potatoes or toast, or use as a component of a salad dressing.

Medium smoke point fats (avocado oil, peanut oil, corn oil): Suitable for low heat applications, and can also be used for moderate heat cooking like starting off your stir-fry, oiling the pan before cooking your protein, sautéing mixed veggies, or using for roasted veggies.

High smoke point fats (grapeseed oil, refined peanut oil, canola oil, lard, vegetable shortening): Suitable for lower heat applications, and also high heat cooking like deep frying techniques.

High fat foods to snack on:

While cooking oils and fatty toppings for our potatoes, salads, and veggies are where many of our dietary fats will come from (a splash here, a dollop there) there are a few easy food options when you need to finish filling up your fat category and you don't want to just drink a shot of olive oil (does not sound pleasant to me!). Nuts and seeds make a great snack to fill this void - rather than buying them from the 'salty snacks' aisle of the store, try looking for them near the baking supplies or in the bulk bins area, where they're not only healthier from a sodium standpoint, but can sometimes be a little less expensive per ounce. Unsalted, unroasted nuts like walnuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts are a great snack - store in your freezer if you opt for a larger package that will last you several months, or they might go rancid on you.

Olives are another food that you can eat in small quantities that bring mostly fat to the table. If you're watching your sodium, go easy on these, as they are typically brined (even the ones that are stored in oil have usually been brined before packing in oil).

A lower sodium, high fat food option that also brings along a good amount of fiber is avocado. Avocados can be eaten as-is, cubed and used in place of cheese to add a salt-free umami/fatty note to many dishes, added to smoothies or salads, or featured as a main ingredient in guacamole.

Recipe links:

Guacamole: A delicious way to use ripe avocados. Avocados are ripe (but not overripe) when the stem comes off easily and the flesh visible is green, not brown. Try not to use the squeeze test on avocados, as they bruise easily. Adjust the level of salt and spice (jalapeno) to taste - if you don't find any chips that fit your macros and sodium needs, use guacamole on a simple homemade taco salad comprised of lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese and seasoned cooked taco meat, or try it as a spread for a turkey wrap. https://downshiftology.com/recipes/best-ever-guacamole/