What to spread, what to fry on?

Choosing the right fat for spreading or frying is one of the most common consumer dilemmas. Because although we know that for health reasons it would be best to eliminate frying altogether, and possibly sprinkle the sandwich with a few drops of olive oil, we do not give up fats, they are simply tasty.

If our menu includes nuts, whole grains, fish, eggs, dairy products, meat and salads with oils, then our diet probably contains sufficient amounts of fat. This – as you know – is not healthy in excess. However, the superiority of the taste of fried meat over cooked meat is unquestionable, and without spreads, every sandwich feels dry. Is there a way to “have a cake and eat it”? Yes, if we try a little bit, we are able to work out a compromise between what is healthy for us and what we consider tasty.

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Butter – irreplaceable taste and aroma

Pleasant taste and smell make butter a fat used as an addition to many dishes. Due to the high content of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, it does not enjoy the best opinion of nutritionists, but it is worth knowing that despite unfavorable comments, it is a source of valuable vitamins (A, D). In addition, lactic fat also provides short- and medium-chain fatty acids, which are characterized by antifungal and antibacterial properties and are a source of easily digestible energy for muscles, heart, liver and kidneys.

In 100 g of butter (half a cube), cholesterol is present in the amount of about 240 mg. That’s a lot, a fact, but assuming that we would eat as much as 6 teaspoons a day (about 30 g – that’s one seventh cube) of fat for spreading on bread or for other culinary purposes, e.g. as a vegetable spread, we consume only 70 mg with this portion. cholesterol, the daily consumption of which should not exceed a total of 300 mg. Therefore, if we do not have excessively elevated cholesterol levels, we do not suffer from cardiovascular diseases that require greater dietary restrictions, we do not have to give up butter, but only use it in moderation. It is worth remembering that it is a natural, easily digestible fat, even recommended in some diets.

What to fry on – what does a dietitian advise?

Margarines – sometimes better, sometimes worse

The margarine issue is a bit more complicated. As it is available in many versions, it is more difficult to choose the one that fully meets our expectations.

The most recommended spread for bread is cup margarine (soft). It cannot be made into a permanent cube shape and is therefore sold in plastic containers. Such margarines contain the greatest amount of liquid vegetable oils, and therefore are characterized by a high content of nutritionally beneficial unsaturated fatty acids. Most of them are both low in saturated fatty acids and contain practically no cholesterol. Due to its composition, cup margarines are recommended for people with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Among such cup margarines, the pro-health ones, the so-called functional, and those with reduced fat content. The first of them is enriched with stanols and plant sterols that lower cholesterol, as well as vitamins, minerals, and concentrates of essential fatty acids. Low-fat margarines are also lower in calories, so they are a solution for people on a slimming diet.

Information on the additives used in the production of margarine, as well as the fat and caloric content, can be found on the packaging. Only the analysis of the label will enable the selection of the product.

Oils – a wealth of diversity

In recent years, a lot of high-nutritional oils, known for a long time, but not very popular before, have appeared on store shelves. Examples? Safflower, walnut and pumpkin seed oil. Unfortunately, despite numerous advantages, they are usually not suitable for frying. The most valuable unrefined cold-pressed oils are excellent, yes, but as an addition to salads, salads or vegetable spread. At high temperature, they quickly lose their health-promoting properties.

However, those who prefer fried foods should remember that any oil used for frying at home should not be reused over and over again. Then, harmful peroxides and polymers as well as acrylamide accumulate in it. It also lowers the smoke point, i.e. the temperature at which the fat starts to smoke, and the viscosity increases, which means that the frying time is longer, and the dish itself is much more saturated with fat. So if there is no information on the possibility of re-use on the fat packaging, it is absolutely necessary to throw it away after frying.

Butter or margarine?

Mix – informational confusion

Mixes (fat blends) are products designed to combine the advantages of butter and vegetable oils and … reduce the price of the finished product. The introduction of such mixtures, however, caused numerous disappointments among consumers, who sometimes went to the store to get butter and left unknowingly with the mix. Sometimes, even if we consciously choose a mix, it is difficult for us to judge its quality. And she depends, among others the production process and the percentages of certain vegetable oils, hydrogenated fats (containing trans isomers) and butter.

So if we do not want to think about the composition of the mix, standing in front of the shelf in the store and reading the label, we can simply prepare it ourselves at home. It is enough to mix half and half of the selected oil (e.g. extra virgin olive oil or cold pressed linseed oil, extremely rich in omega-3 fatty acids) and butter (it should be at room temperature, then it becomes appropriately soft), and cool the ready mixture. The butter in the home mix should be no less than 50%, otherwise the whole thing may turn out to be too liquid. Such a mixture should not be made with a large margin, it is better to prepare smaller portions on a regular basis.

Lard – for the real gourmand

A chunk of bread with lard is by far the worst option – looking at a dietitian’s eye – when choosing a fat supplement for bread. Lard consists of almost 50% of harmful saturated fatty acids, in addition it contains cholesterol and practically does not provide vitamins. However, it must be said that real chefs appreciate the taste of meat fried on it.

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Don’t get diced – butter is butter

If you’re going to the store for butter and you don’t want to accidentally throw a non-butter product into your basket, look for the word butter on the packaging. Do not be guided by the familiar graphics, the shape of the cube or additional terms regarding places or flavors, which, of course, may also appear on the packaging. However, apart from all the eye-pleasing additions and catchy phrases, only butter has the right to be called butter. If it is otherwise, the manufacturer is breaking the applicable regulations.

Let’s look for information on the packaging – harmful trans isomers

Some margarines contain hardened fats in the so-called process. hydrogenation. During hardening with this method, trans isomers that are unfavorable to health are formed. Currently, this process is mainly used in the production of hard (cubed) margarines. Soft (cup) margarines usually contain only minimal amounts of harmful isomers. However, if we want to be sure that the amount of trans isomers in the product we buy is minimal, let’s look for information about their content on the packaging (although, unfortunately, few manufacturers care about providing this data). Some margarines have the designation, for example, “free from trans isomers”, “free from hardened fats” or “trans <1 g", "trans 0,5 g".

WHAT FAT IN THE Frying pan?

Butter

Butter (cubed) is not suitable for longer frying, but can be used to quickly prepare scrambled eggs. At higher temperatures, it burns to form toxic acrolein. If you want to fry in butter, choose dehydrated milk fat, commonly known as clarified butter (or ghee butter). Such butter can be heated to higher temperatures without the risk of burning, and used to fry, for example, a classic Viennese schnitzel.

Oil

Oils for home frying should contain monounsaturated fatty acids. So – fry in olive oil, rapeseed oil or peanut oil. They can be heated to high temperatures, and unfavorable changes do not occur as quickly as in oils with a predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The most resistant to high temperature, however, are other oils: coconut and palm fat, with a predominance of saturated fatty acids. They can even be used for multiple frying and are therefore often used as an ingredient in industrial frying fat blends, e.g. in the production of French fries or crisps. Unfortunately, similarly to animal fats, they are characterized by an atherogenic effect and increasing cholesterol levels.

Margarine

Liquid margarines are most often used for frying – these do not stick to the pan and do not splash on the hob. Hard (cubed) margarines are also a heat-resistant product. They are mainly intended for baking, some of them also for frying. However, they have lower nutritional value than soft margarines. Although they are resistant to unfavorable chemical changes, they contain harmful trans isomers.

Lard

Lard is one of the most stable fats, especially at high temperatures. Consequently, it was once widely used in the production of industrial frying fat blends. Today, due to potential adverse health effects, it is more and more often replaced with hardened vegetable fats, which, however, are also not without drawbacks (see the box “Harmful trans isomers”).