Fat tastes good, but at a price

Fats occur naturally in all food groups. Fats give food flavor, impart a creamy, smooth mouth feel, and aroma to food. Many of our favorite foods, especially meats, desserts & snacks are high in fat.

Fat adds flavor but the risks of high-fat diets are excess weight, unhealthy hearts and increased risk for many diseases such as cancer (breast, colon) and diabetes. So what are we to do? Are we sentenced to a life free of all fat and fatty foods? Never to eat ice cream or steak or cheesecake?

No, but there is a better way. Let’s learn more about fat and how to lighten up without sacrificing everything, especially flavor.

How fats keep our body healthy

Fat is the body’s chief storage form from energy from food. If we eat more calories than we need, the body stores the excess as fat. This is true with carbohydrate, fat, and protein calories.

Fats are important for energy. Fat provides twice the energy or calories of carbohydrates or protein. Fats pad major organs & insulate the body – protects organs & bones; keeps us warm; skinny people do feel cold faster

Fat is a source of fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K)– these vitamins are important for health. Fats add flavor, aroma & mouth-feel to foods. Fat tastes good to many people. When we leave fat out of recipes or substitute other ingredients for the fat, the food product tastes differently. "Grandma’s Cheesecake" doesn’t taste the same without the fat.

Mouth-feel means the smooth, creamy feel in the mouth. Fat gives aroma and mouth-feel to foods such as bacon, French fries, ice cream or mayonnaise that are rich sources of fat in our diets.

Fats make baked products tender – too little fat makes the crust crumbly, hard and dry, the product goes stale more quickly, too. Fats conduct heat during cooking – low fat products often take longer to bake or cook and may brown less. High fat foods can burn if not watched.

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