7 Ways to Eat More Healthy Fats

For my New Year’s resolution this year, I am focusing on eating more fat. Yes, that’s right. More fat. Because I am vegan and my diet consists mainly of whole grains, beans, legumes, and fresh produce, I sometimes forget to eat enough fat. Our bodies need fat for virtually every bodily function from regulating hormones to building cell walls.

As a vegan, I am particularly concerned about getting enough fat because it is needed to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins D and vitamin K – both of which are essential for bone health. Osteoporosis is affecting 1/3 of women and 1/5 of men over 60, so it is more than just vegans who should be worried about it. You can stand in the sun all day, but you won’t absorb vitamin D if you don’t have dietary fat to transport it into your body!

Of course I don’t plan on increasing my intake of just any fat. Trans fats, like those found in processed junk food, need to be avoided at all costs. It is the healthy unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) that our bodies need, as well as some types of saturated fat.  Here are some easy ways you can get more healthy fat in your diet.

Avocado Spreads

The reason that avocados taste so good is because they are loaded with fat: 75-80% of the calories in an avocado come from fat. Most of these fats are healthy monounsaturated fats which help heart health. There is saturated fat in avocado, but the benefits of the healthy fats are so much that studies show avocado reduces the risk of heart disease. As an added bonus, if you use avocado spreads in place of spreads like hydrogenated margarine or mayo, you are simultaneously decreasing your intake of unhealthy fats!

Nut Cheeses

Nuts are one of the best sources of healthy fats and Omega 3, as well as other nutrients like protein magnesium, vitamin E and B vitamins. Some are also great sources of calcium and iron. I already add ground nuts to my oatmeal every morning and they help me stay full all day long. This year, I am going to get more serious about healthy fat intake by consuming nut “cheeses.”

It is pretty easy to make a good nut cheese. You just soak some nuts (cashews work best) and then blend them up with some herbs and seasonings, and maybe some nutritional yeast too (which also happens to be a healthy fat).

Veggie Sticks with Fatty Dips and Spreads

Let’s say that you eat some celery sticks as a snack. Celery is rich in the fat soluble vitamins A and K. So, you would logically assume that celery is a good source of these vitamins. However, that is NOT the case because celery doesn’t contain any fat. In order to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins from the celery, you need to consume some fat along with it. Luckily, celery tastes awesome slathered in peanut butter or dunked into a homemade vegan tzatziki.

Some ideas for fat-rich healthy snacks include:

• Bumps on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins)
• Vegan tzatziki with veggie sticks
• Coconut oil smoothies 
• Tahini dip for chips

Eating celery with peanut butter means you will absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in the celery!

Make Your Own Fancy Salad Dressings

Don’t choose no-fat salad dressings! You need some fat in your salad dressings to help you absorb the fat soluble vitamins in the salad veggies. Plus, some fat is going to make the salad taste a heck of a lot better, thus increasing the likelihood that you will actually eat salad more often. Fat also helps you feel full for longer. Yes, a salad can fill you up!

Some of the best sources of healthy fats are specialty oils like hazelnut oil and walnut oil. These oils are too expensive to use regularly for cooking (at least for my budget), but they do make a great base for a salad dressing. Just mix with vinegar and some salt and drizzle on your salads. Or get even fancier by making your own salad dressing with healthy oils, avocado, coconut oil, or tahini as bases.

Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seeds deserve their title as a super food because they have a great Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio and are a great vegan source of calcium, protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Still not sure what to do with these seeds aside from grow them into a chia pet? Try soaking 3 tbsp of chia seeds overnight in 1 cup of non-dairy milk (which is also a healthy fat) and add some fruit or chocolate.  The chia seeds will expand and turn into a nice pudding that you can eat for breakfast.

Specialty Flours

Thanks to the paleo and gluten-free craze, there are now tons of options for flours. I personally love gluten and grains so am not advocating to give up wheat completely, but you can really enhance your diet by embracing other types of flours in your cooking. As far as healthy fats go, here are some of my favorites:

• Almond flour: You can buy it or make your own by blending almonds into a meal
• Acorn flour: Yes, acorns are edible and super healthy! They are loaded with monounsaturated and some polyunsaturated fats, as well as protein, iron, calcium, and B vitamins. If you are in the US, you can buy acorn from this site. Or go gather some acorns and make your own :) 
• Coconut flour: This one works especially well for baking sweets because of the rich flavor it gives. You can buy bulk organic coconut flour online by Viva Labs for fairly cheap.  It comes out to about $4 per pound.
• Teff flour: Teff is a grain from Africa and is used in making delicious fermented injera Ethiopian bread. It is gluten free and loaded with protein, iron, calcium, fiber, and healthy fats.

Flax Eggs

Because of its favorable Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio, flax is one of the healthiest fats in the world. If you are vegan, then you are already probably familiar with flax meal as an egg replacer. To make a “flegg” (flax egg), mix 1 tbsp of flax meal with 3 tbsp of warm water.  Use in place of a regular egg when baking.  You avoid the unhealthy fats and cholesterol from the egg while getting a boost of healthy fats plus fiber and nutrients from the flax.

[via Planteous Veg]

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Wheat Free Alternative Grains and Other Plant Sources

Whole grains are a big part of a healthy diet. They make up a large part of the bottom of the food pyramid. But it’s not just whole wheat and brown rice. As you take on the wheat-free lifestyle, you soon discover the wide variety of grains to choose from.

In recent years there has been a frenzy of interest around quinoa. It’s just one of the grain alternatives you can choose from. All of these are healthy swaps in your favorite breads, pastas and side dishes.
Quinoa an alternative to wheat flour.

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah)

This is a nutritious super-food that’s actually a nut from Peru. Quinoa has a slightly nutty flavor. It cooks faster than rice, in about 15 minutes. It’s a versatile ingredient that’s good as a hot cereal or ground into flour. It adds moisture to baked goods. Try it in a dish like Autumn Root Vegetables with Quinoa.

Flaxseed

This seed has a nutty flavor. They need to be ground to get the most nutritional fiber value, although they can be toasted whole first than Flax seed an alternative to wheat flourground for later use. Add them ground to add to salads, cereal and bread dough.

Liquid flaxseed oil is also available. Try this recipe Buttermilk Marinated Chicken Breast with Flax and Wheat Germ Breading.

Buckwheat

This alternative to wheat is not a member of the wheat family and it isn’t technically a grain, but it’s often used in place of grains. It’s a good alternative for those with wheat allergies. Diets rich in buckwheat seem to promote lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure. Buckwheat is sold both roasted and raw and used whole, cracked or ground into flour. Use as a flour in pancakes with this recipe Gluten Free Buckwheat Pancakes.

Amaranth

The amaranth is a broad-leafed, bushy plant that grows about six feet tall. It has brightly colored flowers that can contain up to 60,000 seeds. The seeds are nutritious and are ground into flour. Not a true grain, amaranth is often called a pseudo-cereal. Amaranth belongs to the plant family that includes beets, chard, spinach, and some weeds. Try these recipes made with Amaranth flour, like Amaranth Pasta , Amaranth Pancakes, or Traditional Amaranth Atole Recipe.

Rice flour

Rice flour is used to enhance other grains. Available in both white and whole grain brown, rice flour is finer than wheat.

Millet

Millet is a drought-tolerant grass. The seeds can be used as a sorghum substitute. It can be used like rice, served creamy or fluffy.

Oat Flour

Oat flour is another great alternative to wheat. When using oats you should select gluten-free oats. These are specially-selected varieties that have eliminated the cross-contamination with wheat, barley and rye.

There is also Almond flour and Coconut flour that are becoming the top of the list alternatives to using wheat.

These are the most popular whole grains or other plant sources you can find to substitute for wheat. Each has its own unique flavor and can be used in many different ways to add variety to your cooking and baking.

[via Recipes For a Healthy You]

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Need a Pizza Crust Recipe? Here are 10 that Don’t Use Flour

When it comes to finding a good pizza crust recipe, many are on a lifelong search. Because let’s be honest- there’s nothing better than pizza made at home. But what if you can’t tolerate traditional flour? Or even any kind of flour at all? Is a good pizza crust recipe then simply an unattainable dream? No, my friend, it is not. There are plenty of ways to make creative pizza crusts without going anywhere near a bag of flour.

Here are 10 different pizza crust recipes that use everything from polenta to broccoli for the pizza base.

1. Polenta Pizza Crust
While you may think of polenta as a creamy side dish, it can also be used to make up a pizza. You can even make them in smaller rounds, since mini pizzas are perfect as a dinner party appetizer.

2. Almond Flour Pizza Crust
Using a bit of arrowroot flour to hold it all together, this almond flour pizza crust is the perfect base for a margherita pizza.

3. Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Cauliflower for a pizza crust? As long as you have a little cheese and egg, yes. The perfect way to make sure you’re eating enough vegetables too. And not to worry, if you need a dairy-free version, there’s that too.

4. Broccoli Pizza Crust
Don’t let broccoli feel left out with all the cauliflower pizza crusts you’ll be making. The concept for broccoli pizza crust is the same as with cauliflower, but you get a very green crust, which will brighten up the dinner table.

5. Carrot Pizza Crust
If you’ve got an overload of carrots, why not turn them into a pizza? This crust, which is made using grated carrots, can also work well for other crust-worthy recipes, like a quiche.

6. Zucchini Crust Pizza
Summer days are close, and when they get here, chances are you’ll be wondering what to do with all of that zucchini. Your answer? Test out this creative pizza crust recipe.

7. Portobello Mushroom Pizza
If you really want to simplify the pizza making process, you can skip the crust entirely and opt for portobello mushrooms instead. They make perfect individual pizzas and you don’t have to do any more work than layering on a few toppings.

8. Sweet Potato Pizza Crust
This pizza crust recipe involves mashing together cooked sweet potatoes with almond flour. The result is a crust with a crispy outside and soft center that’s full of nutrients.

9. Plantain Pizza Crust
Plantains are common in Caribbean cooking, but often, those of us living further north don’t always know what to do with them. Why not use them to make pizza? The plantains are mixed with a little tapioca starch and coconut flour to hold the crust together.

10. Butternut Squash Pizza Crust
This recipe takes on the same concept as the portobello mushroom pizzas, using the shape and consistency of butternut squash to simply serve as a crust replacement. All you have to do is slice the squash in the desired thickness and top away.

[via Organic Authority]

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