Why You Should Eliminate/reduce Oil From Your Diet
- Oil is the most fattening and calorie dense food. Its 100% pure fat. Just 1 tablespoon of almost all oils are 14 grams of fat. When you consider that so many saute or roast vegetables with several tablespoons, that is a ton of fat! And that is just the oil, not even including the rest of the dish.
- It is healthier to get fats in their whole food form, that way you get the whole nutritional profile. In other words, instead of just pure fat, like with oil, you will be getting the carbs, protein, fiber, etc.
- Using whole food fats like nut butters is a healthier choice. 1 tablespoon of nut butter for example is nearly half the fat as 1 tablespoon of oil. Its a large difference that cant be ignored.
- Many plant-based doctors teach about the harmful effects of oil to our hearts, specifically inflammation, so this is important to consider if you want to be healthier.
- In my opinion, the food simply tastes better without oil! Instead of tasting grease on my veggies or salads, I taste the actual food! I honestly think its better.
Oil Free Potato Chips
For starters, oil can make homemade chips soggy instead of crispy. Secondly, cooking with oil often causes the edges of potato slices to burn when you cook without oil, you will get a much more uniform chip.
So heres how to create a mean chip depending on what kind of potato you are using:
Russets, Whites and Golds:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees .Cut potatoes into ¼-inch or thinner slices.Season to taste.Line a baking sheet with parchment or Silpat and lay chips out in a single layer. Be careful not to crowd the slices.Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness, flip and bake until crispy and brown. If your chips are thick, you might need 5-10 minutes more per side. You know theyre done when you hear that satisfying snap!
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Vegan Tuscan White Bean Soup In The Instant Pot
Farro, an ancient grain similar to barley, adds texture and creaminess to this vegan version of Tuscan white bean soup with carrots and kale. Use Alubia Blanca or any small white beans, such as navy beans. Ive had a bag of Alubia Blanca white beans from Rancho Gordo sitting on my bean shelf for longer
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Mediterranean Diet And Olive Oil Industry
Much of the evidence for olive oil comes from Mediterranean diet studies. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular and other diseases. But the key qualities that make a Mediterranean diet are not olive oil, fish or red wine but rather the whole plant foods legumes, whole grains, vegetables and fruit. It is these components that are most strongly associated with better health outcomes. Follow up studies of the people of Crete found that individuals who consumed the most olive oil had the most heart disease .
The PREDIMED study has been misrepresented as evidence that a Mediterranean diet with olive oil or nuts is more heart healthy than a low-fat diet. However, the advice to eat a low fat diet group was not low fat , received less counselling than the other groups, and at the end of the study averaged less legumes, vegetables and fruits than the other groups . Whenever we read of studies that report benefits from a particular diet, we ask compared to what?. PREDIMED found no significant reduction in cardiac events or mortality but did find a reduction in strokes, particularly in the nut eating group. No Mediterranean diet studies have demonstrated the regression of heart disease observed in research by Ornish and Esselstyn which used a low fat, whole foods, plant-based diet.
See also our blog post discussing recent research on Olive Oil and Mortality
Doesnt Oil Contribute To Healthy Skin And Hair
Many factors contribute to a healthy looking appearance, including sleep, hydration, and nutrition. Though Vitamin E is believed to be important for skin and hair repair, it is just one of a handful of vitamins and minerals that are. And you dont need to consume pure oil in order to get enough of it! Eating a wide variety of whole plant foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, is most important. You can regularly incorporate whole food sources of vitamin E, such as sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, swiss chard, and butternut squash.
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Oil Causes Plaque And Clogging In Your Blood Vessels
Studies have shown that blood flow decreases drastically for many hours after a fatty meal.
Bringham and Womens Hospital researchers reported, after studying more than 2,000 cardiac patients. the risk of heart attack jumps by 400 percent immediately following a heavy, fat-rich meal.
In the Mediterranean, people who ate the most olive oil, were far more likely to have heart disease.
Crete University found that subjects who ate the most olive oil, had the most heart disease.
Olive oil is NOT heart healthy.
People are healthier on a Mediterranean diet because of eating more vegetables, not because of oil.
Kale And Fruit Salad With Nut Citrus Dressing
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup raw almonds or cashews2 oranges, pealed 6 large chunks fresh pineapple
FOR THE SALAD:
6 leaves curly green kale, finely chopped1 apple, chopped1 cup red grapes, whole or sliced1 cup fresh mango chunks
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine the dressing ingredients in a high-powered blender.
Toss desired amount of dressing with the salad ingredients. Refrigerate leftover dressing.
If you would like to help support my blog, consider shopping on my for Whole Food, Plant Based kitchen gadgets, books, food, home delivered food and more!
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What Do Vegans Cook With Instead Of Oil
Instead of oil, I use fruit purees, veggies, dairy-free yogurt, nut butters, almond flour or other nuts, sometimes coconut butter. This gives lot of moisture and the fats still give that texture and richness that oil or butter normally give. Sometimes applesauce or pumpkin can be used interchangeably.
What Can You Substitute For Oil In A Plant
substitute for fats like oil, butter, or shortening. Some of my favorites include applesauce, mashed bananas, and puréed dates. In some instances, nut flour or nut butters can serve as substitutions or additions. RoastingTheres no need to coat your vegetables or other foods with oil before roasting them in the oven.
Also Check: Gluten Free Dairy Free Bread Recipe
Vegan Pasta Salad With Quinoa
Perfect for summer parties and featuring lots of seasonal produce, this Mediterranean-flavored pasta salad is fully vegan and gluten-free!
Briny artichokes, crunchy cucumber, flavorful olives, protein-packed chickpeas and cooked pasta are slathered in a creamy yogurt tahini dressing.
This easy-to-make dinner requires only 10 minutes of hands-on time and is made from cheap staple foods.
Everyone loves this pasta dish with finely chopped seasonal veggies and lots of deep flavors!
This Is All About Listening To Your Body
Our plant based meal plans are hand crafted each and every week with nutritional diversity in mind. And if you want a little more guidance on this, I recommend downloading Dr. Gregers free app, The Daily Dozen .
This will help you make sure that youre getting enough of all the whole plant foods that you need every day. This app is great for people just starting out. After doing this for about a month, you wont have to think about it, youll just eat ALL the plant foods and be free, happy and energized.
The internet is a noisy place and theres a lot of bullshit information out there, especially about food.
Sorting out the people and resources you can trust from the people and resources who dont have your health or best interest in mind is hard, especially when youre new to all of this. Ive been working in this industry for a long time and below is a list of plant based doctors and whole food plant based resources that I trust.
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Learn How To Cook Plant
Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.
For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.
Here are some great resources to get you started:
All Your Vegan Butter Questions Answered:
- Q: Can I bake with cauliflower vegan butter? I havent tried it yet, but will let you know. If any of you give it a go in baked goods, I would love to hear how it turns out.
- Q: Is frozen cauliflower okay to use? I think frozen would work just fine in this. The only thing I would suggest is reducing the amount of plant milk to 1 Tbsp until you figure out the right consistency.
- Q: What kind of oil-free bread can I spread it on? Though this is not a post about bread, I know there will be questions about the types of bread I used in the photos. My family loves Daves Killer Bread in the green package, and its completely oil-free. We also like crusty sourdough bread. And, Ezekiel Bread is another great option.
- Q: How long will this vegan butter keep? Depending on the freshness of your cauliflower, this vegan butter should keep for about 7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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Oil Consumption Leads To Inflammation In Your Blood
You cant always judge health by how fit or thin a person looks.
- A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that a high fat diet raised inflammatory proteins in the blood by 25%, even though the study subjects lost weight.
- Subjects who lost the same amount of weight, but ate low-fat and high-carb, lowered their inflammatory blood protein levels by 43 percent.
- High inflammation leads to disease including heart disease and cancer.
Healthy Vegan Recipes That Are Totally Crave
By Megan Edwards Oct 5, 2017
Plant-based eating should never be boring! Thats why weve rounded up our best vegan recipes that will impress even the pickiest eaters. Learn to create vegan and oil-free versions of comforting classics like potato skins, quesadillas, tacos, mac and cheese, brownies, ice cream, and more. These tantalizing dishes use easy cooking techniques and familiar ingredients so you can avoid overly complicated recipes without skimping on flavor. Get ready to dig into these vegan meal ideas that will delight the whole family!
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Spicy Tomato Sushi Rolls
Transport your tastebuds with this delicious Japanese-inspired vegan sushi recipe thats as flavorful as it is beautiful. Butternut squash is simmered with brown rice to give it a creamy texture and warm flavor, while fresh tomatoes are tossed in a spicy sriracha sauce. Break out your nori and sushi mat to roll up these bite-sized slices of veggie goodness and serve with soy sauce.
What Does A Wfpb Diet Include
According to the Mayo Clinic, a WFPB diet is rich in the following foods:
- Whole grains such as whole wheat, steel cut and rolled oats, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, barley, millet, amaranth and teff
- Legumes of all kinds , including beans, chickpeas, lentils, split peas, soybeans and peas
- Leafy greens like kale, collards, spinach, arugula, bok choy, lettuces and herbs
- Root vegetables like potatoes of all kinds, alliums , beets, carrots and radishes
- Other veggies such as squash, tomatoes, peppers, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower
- Fruits of all kinds, like berries, bananas, apples, citrus and stone fruits
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The Issue With Extreme Volume Eating
So we have established that the WFPBNO approach can work for weight loss.
That doesnt mean that it is not without its pitfalls.
WFPBNO is volume eating on steroids. When we are splitting hairs over the caloric density of beans versus tofu, we know we have probably gone too far.
1. It doesnt reduce appetite during weight loss
If you are eating WFPBNO for weight loss, you will likely have to continue eating that way for the rest of your life to maintain your weight loss.
Typically, when dieting, food portions are reduced. Even if you are using some volume eating principles and incorporating healthy amounts of fruits and vegetables.
This means that as you diet and lose weight, your appetite will also decrease over time. Meaning that you will need less volume of food to feel satisfied.
However, if you are taking an extreme volume eating approach, where large portion sizes are maintained throughout, you wont be able to dial back on the volume eating without feeling hungry.
Therefore, you are kind of stuck on a WFPBNO diet because you never addressed the appetite problem when dieting.
Think of competitive eaters. Did you know that competitive eaters use this same approach to practice for events?
They dont want to be overconsuming calories all of the time, so they will practice increasing their ability to tolerate large volumes of food with high fibre, low calorie density plant foods!
2. It may cause gut issues
3. Dietary restriction & disordered eating
Bloating Farting And Probiotics In The Whole Food Plant Based Diet World Yes Were Going There
When you transition to plant based eating, it takes your gut a bit of time to catch up. During this time you will be farty and probably bloated . Your gut bacteria needs a couple weeks before it can break down all the fiber-rich foods in a way thats ummore silent and comfortable. To help you through this bubbly transition, read the posts below.
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Vegan Potato Gnocchi With Mushrooms And Greens
While it might sound intimidating to make gnocchi from scratch, this easy vegan recipe is worth flexing your home chef muscles. Pillowy nuggets of potato pasta are sautéed with umami-rich mushrooms and fresh greens, then drizzled with a zesty parsley sauce that adds a bright pop of herbal freshness to balance out all the savory flavors. Top everything with red pepper flakes if you like a little extra heat.
Why Should You Cook Without Oil
While I grew up eating foods cooked in oil, as well into my 20s and 30s, I cook and bake entirely different now. Animal fats are high cholesterol, high in saturated fats and are very acidic to the body, as well as bad for our hearts. Additionally, they are the very thing that caused my husband to have such debilitating gout.
Learning to remove animal products was the first step. Ive learned a lot about why its so healthy to not only adapt a plant-based diet, but also an oil-free one from many plant-based doctors. Dr. Esselstyn and Dr. McDougall teach well on this. While Dr. McDougall is very much an advocate for super low-fat, I do not feel good on a very low-fat diet, so this is why I use nuts and seeds. I do, however, agree on the oil-free and feel better without it. Dr. Greger teaches the importance of nuts daily.
Also Check: Banana Bread Recipe With Butter
Some People Love Kitchen Gadgets Some People Do Not
I personally do not love kitchen gadgets. I like to get by with the most low maintenance kitchen as possible. You can fancy it up and buy all kinds of things to help you in the kitchen, but you dont have to . Below are a few posts and a quick video that will help you understand that cooking this way is much less complicated than people think.
Healthy Vegan Mac And Cheese
This healthy comfort food isnt just dairy-free but also completely oil-free!
Cooked pasta gets mixed with an easy homemade cheese sauce made from potatoes, carrots, onions, cashews and nutritional yeast. Much better for you than the original and super tasty!
Indulgent, wholesome and so more-ish, these chocolate-covered snickers dates have serious potential to become your new favorite homemade dessert!
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Getting Out Of The Habit Of Being A Mad Scientist With Your Food Im Talking Combining Portions Counting And Ratios
A lot of people are used to the diet mindset. They think that getting enough protein is hard if they dont eat meat. Theyre convinced that carbs are the enemy and starchy carbs are even worse. Theyre used to putting their food into a tracker and relying on a screen to tell them if theyve made smart eating choices.
For the love of all things good in the world, lets stop the madness and walk away from the points and charts and diagrams and tracking apps and percentages and numbers and breaking food down to the sum of its parts. And instead, lets find freedom in the simple act of eating quality food.
Eating like a badass, getting super healthy, and maintaining a healthy weight for your frame isnt about the quantity of your food, its about the quality of your food.
I know this is new information to most people, and it takes a while to unlearn what the dieting industry and has hammered into society for the past half a century.
Here are some posts that will give you clarity around this and help you understand why counting and measuring your food might actually be holding you back.
And if you still have questions about whether or not you should portion out or meals, focus on macronutrient ratios, count calories, avoid nuts and seeds, and worry about food combining, the answer is no. We offer nutrition info in Plant Fueled Life for those who want it.