I don't understand...

[Mom to Aly]

OK, I posted recently about having lost 61 pounds (I'm up to 63 now:D), so you know I'm not thin. But I should be, for the way I cook--hey, I've always had a slow metabolism, raised vegetarian, which does make a dif.

 

Anyway, I was looking at the green bean recipe swap thread, and I don't get it. Why do Americans almost always feel it is necessary to add oil/butter/fat/meat to veggies? I have never and will never do this (well, obviously not the meat, but the rest, too). We grew up with no butter or oil, and no salt in my house (told you I should be thin!!). I love veggies, and I want to taste them! Why add all the rest?

 

Please tell me--I really don't get it! And isn't a big point of veggies the whole healthy side? Why do the whole fat thing to yourselves? I live in VA, where you basically cannot get veggies in a rest w/o meat in them, and if you can, they are saturated with oil or butter. WHY, WHY, WHY???

[milovany]

Well, the quick answer for me is that I don't see fats as unhealthy. I haven't bought into the "low-fat" diet idea and I *like* butter on my vegies. Not tons, but some anyway. And on my bread and on my pancakes and on my crackers ...

 

Congratulations on the weight loss! That's awesome! I'm about 5 pounds into an about 30 lb weight losing session. Hope to be done by October 4!

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I'm with you. The only time I add fat to veggies is if I'm roasting them, or pan-frying them, and then I use a tiny bit of olive oil. I don't even put butter on my corn-on-the-cob. My family doesn't miss it, and they wonder what the "stuff" is on their veggies in restaurants. :)

 

I'm not anti-fat. I really like butter, especially on my eggs, and on my bread. I just don't want it on my vegetables.

 

Does this make me un-American? ;)

[Amy in Orlando]

OK, I posted recently about having lost 61 pounds (I'm up to 63 now:D), so you know I'm not thin. But I should be, for the way I cook--hey, I've always had a slow metabolism, raised vegetarian, which does make a dif.

 

Anyway, I was looking at the green bean recipe swap thread, and I don't get it. Why do Americans almost always feel it is necessary to add oil/butter/fat/meat to veggies? I have never and will never do this (well, obviously not the meat, but the rest, too). We grew up with no butter or oil, and no salt in my house (told you I should be thin!!). I love veggies, and I want to taste them! Why add all the rest?

 

Please tell me--I really don't get it! And isn't a big point of veggies the whole healthy side? Why do the whole fat thing to yourselves? I live in VA, where you basically cannot get veggies in a rest w/o meat in them, and if you can, they are saturated with oil or butter. WHY, WHY, WHY???

 

 

First off, WTG on the weight loss!!!! That is a huge accomplishment.

 

I'm guessing you're not American? (just from how you phrased your post)

 

For me it's about memories. The vegetables I LOVE were mostly tossed in butter, in some instances lard - not to mention the random "cream of" soup. Same with dh. They're delicious. And they bring back great memories and we eat them once, maybe twice a year. Every single thing does not have to be healthy and low fat EVERY time you eat them. Sometimes, it's fun to just eat something cooked in butter or any of the above. If you aren't doing it every day, you're probably ok.

 

MOST days, we eat our veggies raw or steamed and if we're feeling a little crazy, tossed in olive oil. But, to me, that's not a recipe worth sharing, kwim? I toss in whatever I have - garlic, herbs, etc. - and call it good.

 

We're (all six of us) of normal or even below normal weight. We're not deprived of anything. Nor are we gluttons. I think of us as average Americans. Maybe not average, but we're not exceptional in our choices. I think there are a lot of people here who fit this bill. One Big Mac twice a year isn't going to hurt anyone.

 

And, why do people (not just Americans) like their vegetables slathered in butter and all other things tasty? Because they taste good. Butter is delicious. Butter is why God made seafood, imo.

[Mom to Aly]

I'm guessing you're not American? (just from how you phrased your post)

 

 

Butter is why God made seafood, imo.

 

 

ROTFL!! I am American, well, half. My dad was from India, my mom from Texas (hmmm, maybe I'm not really American??), but I was brought up in NY. Lived in several diff countries as an adult, but as a kid, NY. I'd love to know why you thought not? Very proper upbringing (etiquette school, whole bit), very extensive education, and my dad was educated in England--I still have some words I say with a British accent, and I still have sort of a 19th century phrasing for some things--but I've tried to totally Americanize myself. Once in a while, I think it shows ; )

 

As for the seafood, I am vegetarian :).

 

My dad was a scientist, and felt, even way back when, fat and salt were unhealthy and unnecessary, and garlic and onion were great (as they say now), so that was what we used a lot of. I use butter on absolutely nothing, salt on rice or potatoes occasionally, well, don't eat them anymore (diabetes), but really never felt they were necessary. Then there was my xh--from France, put butter on everything, salted everything before tasting it, would eat his dinner and half of mine, had to have 3 huge meals a day, plus huge snacks in between, or he'd lose weight--oooh, he'd make me mad!!!

 

<sigh> Some things in life are simply not fair.

 

Ah, well, still don't get the veggie thing.

 

But, to each his own. ;)

[JFSinIL]

My Dad (the primary cook when I was a kid) grew up on a farm in Kansas. Veggies were waaaaay overcooked (by today's standards) and meat/fat/salt was used to make them taste like anything.

 

This is just what I think.

[Jennifer in MI]

I've read that adding a little fat to veggies (we're talking VERY little - maybe 1T per pound) actually makes them healthier. The fat helps you absorb the nutrients better.

 

Here's a link: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06221/712211-114.stm

 

More to say - must leave for church now!!

[cin]

ROTFL!! I am American, well, half. My dad was from India, my mom from Texas (hmmm, maybe I'm not really American??), but I was brought up in NY. Lived in several diff countries as an adult, but as a kid, NY. I'd love to know why you thought not?

 

 

Answering for Aly, I thought so too, I even looked too see your location. In your original post you used the wording

 

Why do Americans almost always feel it is necessary to add oil/butter/fat/meat to veggies? I have never and will never do this (well, obviously not the meat, but the rest, too). We grew up with no butter or oil, and no salt in my house (told you I should be thin!!). I love veggies, and I want to taste them! Why add all the rest?

 

Please tell me--I really don't get it!

 

The way you said Why do Americans...it made me think that you were NOT from America. And the fact that you grew up with no butter, oil or salt in your house....Well, that's just Not American!! At least not 20+ years ago! ;)

 

I grew up with family from the Hills of Tennessee, so our veggies were cooked to death. For years I thought green beans and broccoli were suppose to be pale, olive green. Honestly, the first time I saw a raw veggie plate I thought "why are they serving RAW food? I mean, to me, it was like putting chunks of raw stew beef on a plate. I still have problems with raw veggies, and it is just because they are RAW. Oh and Bacon grease, YUM. It sat in a container on the stove. And every thing that was cooked got a spoonful of it. And then we'd drain the grease back into that little container (How did we not die of some kind of food poisoning??!?!?!) Lard and Salt and butter and WHITE bread.

[Jenny in Atl]

But aren't many traditional Indian dishes made with Ghee? I've never eaten plan veggies (Indian) style. All my cookbooks from there have loads of Ghee and/or yogurt. Not sure how that different from olive oil or western butter? Most cultures I have learned about mixed veggies with either animal fat or plant fat. Where protein is scarce, insects/grubs are used to supplement the diet.

 

The salt again, is left over from cultures where there was little natural salt in the foods they ate (little fish or meat). It's interesting that the Japanese (overall) eat far more salt, reportedly the highest in the world, but have few problems with high blood pressure/heart disease. Could be the practice of the steam bath, and overall healthy diet? All interesting questions.

[Parrothead]

Some veggies get butter, salt and pepper around here regularly - corn, English peas, and green beans. Most others only get a tad of salt. Some like my cinnamon carrots get weird stuff like cinnamon and honey.

[keptwoman]

Well, the quick answer for me is that I don't see fats as unhealthy. I haven't bought into the "low-fat" diet idea and I *like* butter on my vegies. Not tons, but some anyway. And on my bread and on my pancakes and on my crackers ...

 

Well I'm not American, but I have to say I 100% agree with this.

 

Also isn't it interesting that since all these diet products came out and fat became "evil", the population is so much heavier.

 

I LOVE butter and I don't have diet/lite/low fat products in the house and our entire family is not even slightly over weight. I'd say that the key to a healthy diet is lots of good fresh food, exercise and balance in the other stuff.

 

Congrats on your weight loss OP, that's impressive!!

[Krista in LA]

I've read that adding a little fat to veggies (we're talking VERY little - maybe 1T per pound) actually makes them healthier. The fat helps you absorb the nutrients better.

 

Here's a link: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06221/712211-114.stm

 

More to say - must leave for church now!!

 

Thanks for the link, it was very interesting.

[stephanie]

OK, I posted recently about having lost 61 pounds (I'm up to 63 now:D), so you know I'm not thin. But I should be, for the way I cook--hey, I've always had a slow metabolism, raised vegetarian, which does make a dif.

 

Anyway, I was looking at the green bean recipe swap thread, and I don't get it. Why do Americans almost always feel it is necessary to add oil/butter/fat/meat to veggies? I have never and will never do this (well, obviously not the meat, but the rest, too). We grew up with no butter or oil, and no salt in my house (told you I should be thin!!). I love veggies, and I want to taste them! Why add all the rest?

 

Please tell me--I really don't get it! And isn't a big point of veggies the whole healthy side? Why do the whole fat thing to yourselves? I live in VA, where you basically cannot get veggies in a rest w/o meat in them, and if you can, they are saturated with oil or butter. WHY, WHY, WHY???

 

I know being from the south it's like a custom in every meal! I grew up watching my granny, mom, aunts, and now my mil just throw butter in just about every dish...there's no exact measurement, just some thought that butter should be in every dish. So I think a lot is just demographics! I know that all of our restaurants as well serve butter which most entrees so you can dip your meat in it! Or they serve some kind of a butter sauce over it. I have to be honest in saying that it is YUMMY, but I usually don't partake in it. I always have to tell the waiters to cook my veggies/chicken without butter. At home I don't add butter unless a recipe calls for it!

[Peek a Boo]

why is it that so many people think it's "just Americans" who add this stuff to their food?

 

as has already been shared, other cultures add stuff to their foods and veggies too.

[Aubrey]

Didja READ my recipes???? :smilielol5:

[Maria from IN]

I wonder if it has something to do with the depression era/poor "use-it-up" mentality that has been passed down to us.

 

Until I was in high school, there was no breakfast without bacon or sausage, and the eggs were cooked in the fat remaining in the pan. Green beans were always accompanied by diced ham (ends from leftover holiday ham) and lots of salt. Gravy was a staple in my family.

 

Then mom started having problems with stroke, cholesterol, and heart attacks--at 44. She had to change her whole way of eating. She decided that if it was good for her, it was good for the rest of us, too. She hated cooking two different meals, so the main dish and a vegetable were usually something she could eat and she would cook an extra side or two for those of us without heart problems. I learned to get used to boneless skinless chicken and leaner cuts of beef. My mom actually put skim milk in the 2 percent containers in order to fool us into putting it on our cereal, especially since dad protested about having to drink "that old blue s&*t." Veggies were steamed and we stopped using oil and salt wherever we could.

 

When I left for college I was healthy and at a normal weight.

 

Fast forward to now--I married a man who thought gravy was an essential beverage. He could not be swayed, so I had to start cooking less healthy foods in less healthy ways. I divorced him and since I was down to one income had to resort to buying cheaper foods. Of course, they're full of oils and soy filler and corn and fats and salt. I am now 5' 10" and 205--about 45-50 pounds away from where I think I should be.

 

I guess after all this rambling I should say that it must be partly the way we were raised to think of food, and partly the urge to eat the convenience foods and the cheaper foods that make us think we're doing ourselves a favor.

[GailV]

I've read that adding a little fat to veggies (we're talking VERY little - maybe 1T per pound) actually makes them healthier. The fat helps you absorb the nutrients better.

 

 

 

I'm in this camp!

 

Plus, I think it tastes better. Plus I don't think fats are automatically unhealthy, except for trans-fats.

 

And I am now, and probably always will be, on the low side of the weight chart for my height. And considering that I tend to slather everything in fat, I don't see much connection between low fat and low weight, if that's the point we're trying to make. It depends on metabolism.

[Ashleen]

1. Almost all the people I've seen who do "no fat" or "low fat" overeat carbs. This is because they don't feel full and keep eating. And eating.

 

2. During the "low fat" rage in the U.S., Americans truly began their journey towards obesity. We got a program from the library with several years' worth of National Geographic magazine and actually saw ads for sugar, saying you should eat it on a spoon before meals because it has "no fat" and will help you stick to a diet! I wish it were a joke, but it was a real ad campaign from a real magazine.

 

3. The absolute skinniest people I know (which would be my husband's side of the family) eat butter on the vegetables (and their bread, and whatever else butter might go on).

 

Fat is one of the three macronutrients. It has been demonized over the years and we have not been healthier as a nation. When you aren't getting enough of one of the macronutrients, you are malnourished. Same thing if you're getting way too much of one of them. They work in a balance and one thing that I've noticed from years and years of observing nutrition is that nutritionists don't know everything yet.

[Ashleen]

P.S. Just wanted to add, I'm not suggesting we go all Paula Deen just because fat isn't as bad as previously thought! That is an example of an unhealthy imbalance the other way. :001_smile:

[Mama Lynx]

I'm not at all against butter or fats, but I do rarely cook veggies with fat. I just prefer the taste of the plain veggies, and my kids certainly do - if I cook veggies in butter, they'll complain and not eat them.

 

I mostly like steamed veggies. I'll put butter on the starchier things, like potatoes or winter squash.

 

I think they way overdo it at restaurants. I can't even eat the veggies in some restaurants, because they're drenched in butter or oil. Ick.

 

I rarely even go for salad dressing, but a little olive oil and lemon juice on a salad is wonderful :)

[LauraGB]

I wonder if it has something to do with the depression era/poor "use-it-up" mentality that has been passed down to us..

 

:iagree:, at least that's what I've come to understand, and for some reason its particularly easy to pick up on this in the midwest. Wonder bread, mayo, butter, lard...I think it all has to do with the depression and the rise thereafter. Both my family and dh's, all the way back to the great grandparents that I can remember; butter, lard, bacon/grease - on everything.

 

The only veggies I serve butter with are corn and potatoes. All the others just gets salt and pepper. I usually will cook w/olive oil or coconut oil (depending on what it is) if it needs any oil at all. I will admit to having a liberal hand with the olive oil. Dh still cooks his eggs in butter when I'm not looking (I use an olive oil spray for everyone when I make them), drenches his green beans in butter and begs me to buy bacon so he can use the grease in gravy. His cholesterol is really nasty and he's 60lbs overweight - go figure.

 

Fat is good, though. Necessary. Not necessarily animal fats, so much, but fat in general. Keeps the brain fed. But, in reasonable amounts, of course.

[love2read]

I love veggies, and I want to taste them! Why add all the rest?

I think we do it because we're used to that flavor and many Americans don't have experience cooking with a variety of spices. Spices are necessary for some of us because our growing season is short and most of the time are veggies are not fresh. We normally have to eat frozen from Sept to June and they're just blah without flavoring.

 

Here's a question for you?? Do you pan fry without oil? Steam? Seasonings added? We usually pan fry everything with just a small amount of oil if we are sautéing garlic or ginger first. We use either Indian or other Asian spices on our veggies. We don't usually cook them with meat, but I completely get why so many Americans do. It tastes good with meat ;)

[Crissy]

I'm not thin.

 

I have never and will never do this (well, obviously not the meat, but the rest, too). We grew up with no butter or oil, and no salt in my house (told you I should be thin!!).

 

WHY, WHY, WHY???

 

Isn't this a clear indicator that eating butter/fat/meat is not the reason folks struggle to keep their weight down?

[Philothea]

I'd just like to add that a lot of the "butter" on veggies in restaurants is not real butter and can be a variation of artificial "stuff." The same for things grilled in restaurants, with that awful grill oil that is also similar to fake butter.

 

Real butter is great and many people love it because 1. fats taste good and 2. salt tastes good (to most pallettes)

 

We were always told to be moderate with butter growing up because it was expensive, so when I met DH's family I was shocked at the amount of butter they would use. But in turn, they were suprised at many of the eating customs that we were brought up with in Ohio.

[dragons in the flower bed]

I love veggies, and I want to taste them! Why add all the rest?

 

Please tell me--I really don't get it! And isn't a big point of veggies the whole healthy side? Why do the whole fat thing to yourselves?

 

I like the taste of fresh veggies, and steamed veggies, and both with herbs (Mrs. Dash, usually) but frozen, canned, or cooked veggies are not yummy.

 

I read an article in a waiting room once . . . Newsweek, or Time, maybe? . . . in which it was reported that experts (nutritionists?) believe we crave fats because, in prehistoric times, they were harder to get. Our bodies still have that scarcity reflex which modernly makes us drive up to McDonald's, despite knowing that the "food" there contains 2% mouse and as much salt as we need for a week.

[Karenciavo]

My nutritionist told me you need a little fat with vegetables so your body can absorb the phytonutrients. I don't like butter on my vegetables but I do like to lightly sprinkle them with Wegman's oil.

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

My nutritionist told me you need a little fat with vegetables so your body can absorb the phytonutrients. I don't like butter on my vegetables but I do like to lightly sprinkle them with Wegman's oil.

 

Many vitamins are require fat for absorption. Without sufficient dietary fat, the vitamins don't absorb, then the body sends signals that the cells are starving, so you get an SOS from the brain to "Eat, dammit!" in hopes that the new food contains the vitamins you need. Perhaps you don't eat the right vitamins or enough protein or whatnot, so your body feels perpetually hungry for nourishment even though you eat a LOT and your body shows you as, shall we say, "overnourished."

 

Eat some fat. Not too much. We evolved and/or were created to eat and metabolize real fat. It's silly to make a point to avoid balanced eating, IMO.

[Brindee]

I suppose the Japanese could say WHY don't you eat Sushi? Or the Mexicans could say WHY don't you eat tortillas and beans with your meals? WHY?!

 

It's just a difference in how people are raised, one not neccessarily better than the other, unless either one is way overdone. As others pointed out, some fat is needed. You're used to eating it that way so it's good. Others are used to eating it others ways, which is good for them.

 

I'm a vegetarian, and tell people so if they ask. My ex-sil, used to degrade people who ate meat, and told her kids that those people were disgusting because they ate dead animals! Seriously! In my opinion, I agreed with her being a vegetarian, but asking people why on earth they ate meat, and telling her kids those things, I did NOT agree with. You can share health principles in a better way than what she chose to do!

 

So, it ALMOST sounds like you're judging others for having different eating habits than you. I'm sure you're not, you're just asking a question. But we need to be careful not to judge others.

[6packofun]

Why do Americans almost always feel it is necessary to add oil/butter/fat/meat to veggies? I have never and will never do this (well, obviously not the meat, but the rest, too). We grew up with no butter or oil, and no salt in my house (told you I should be thin!!). I love veggies, and I want to taste them! Why add all the rest?

 

YAY!!! *applause* and good for you! We just happen to like it and use it in very moderate amounts in some of our veggies. Justification over. :)

[percytruffle]

The salt again, is left over from cultures where there was little natural salt in the foods they ate (little fish or meat). It's interesting that the Japanese (overall) eat far more salt, reportedly the highest in the world, but have few problems with high blood pressure/heart disease. Could be the practice of the steam bath, and overall healthy diet? All interesting questions.

 

Actually, all cultures have their prevalent diseases. I've heard/read that Asian countries with high sodium content in their diet are more prone to stroke. So, there is too much of a good thing when it comes to sodium.

 

As far as the fats go, I am in the same camp as most who have posted. A little natural fat is a good thing in the diet and should not be avoided entirely. I love real butter on my Ezekiel toast and I butter most veggies lightly unless they are roasted or have some other addition to them already. We use olive oil and real butter exclusively, except for a very occasional pie crust. :D

[Mom to Aly]

Isn't this a clear indicator that eating butter/fat/meat is not the reason folks struggle to keep their weight down?

 

 

First of all, I was very thin, well under a size 5, until I had a baby that died, became very depressed, suffered for years through a horrible marriage, and ate myself into oblivion to survive it--so no, I don't think that had anything to do with no butter/fat/meat.

 

And I really wasn't trying to judge/criticize/etc. I really don't get it! And I didn't know about the veggie/fat/health link--I'm glad I read that. I need to learn about the whole fat thing--since I learned I have diabetes, and that it has doubled my cholesterol, I've basically cut out fat, and my hair is so dry it is breaking off--scary!

 

But I just find the whole fat in the veggies surprising, still. To answer a few questions--yes, I do use spices with veggies, when I think it will make them better, but most I like raw or steamed, and sometimes squeeze lemon on them. Once in a while a little salt, usually not. Sometimes pepper. I do healthy saute which means using water or broth, or, for things like Indian food, which often have a tomato sauce base, I use that.

 

Yes, Indians do use ghee (clarified butter)--my dad was a scientist who figured out a lot about health before it was known or popular (all the stuff about onions and garlic that they've said recently he said 50 years ago), and did not allow oil/butter/salt, etc, in our house. That is how I grew up. Indians have an incredibly high rate of heart disease, both sides of my fam have very high cholesterol, and everyone on both sides, except my father, have died of heart disease for many, many generations. My mom's mom and her grandmother both had hardening of the arteries which killed them, but made them senile long before, in other words, what we now call alzheimer's disease, and my mom is now getting it. So it is something I am very worried about and want to be as careful as possible.

 

I am not trying to criticize or berate anyone here, just wanted to know. I, personally, don't like things saturated in butter--I don't like the way butter tastes, and don't see the point of adding oil to things when I don't feel it enhances the taste, but, man, do I LOVE fried food! (and I miss it, too! ;)).

 

Anyway, thank you all for your VERY candid remarks. Hope I haven't offended anyone.:001_smile:

[sdWTMer]

Why do Americans almost always feel it is necessary to add oil/butter/fat/meat to veggies? WHY, WHY, WHY???

 

Because in my very humble opinion green beans just go well with bacon grease! There I said it! Just like pinto beans are great cooked with bacon as well!

 

:leaving:

[Brindee]

That's interesting that you say that about your dad. Did you say you're (he's) Indian (from India)? When I was young (preteen and early teen) we went to church with and Indian family. Their dd and I were very close friends and spent the night at each others houses a lot. Both of the parents were very into health things then (He was a Doctor of some sort, and she was something too, but I'm not sure what): Hydrotherapy, eating healthfully (whole grains, and things like your dad was saying), charcoal poultices and other benefits from charcoal, etc. They would do Health Education classes, and I got to help sometimes--getting warm or cool towels, or running errands of some sort.

 

I don't know if there's a faction or connection there....I just found it interesting! :001_smile:

 

 

I read a book written by a lady in the 1800's (when they thought tobacco smoke would help heal you, and had all sorts of interesting "health" ideas!) that was promoting a vegetarian diet, lots of water, sunlight and fresh air--especially when people were sick, etc. They used to close up the windows and keep the room dark when people were sick! Anyway, her ideas weren't too popular then. But it's funny that now, they've recently "discovered" these same kinds of things!

 

I bet it's interesting for you to see people "discovering" these things that your dad taught you all along! :001_smile: You were blessed to have a dad that understood those things! I grew up mostly vegetarian, and ate LOTS of healthy foods and veggies! And I am very thankful for that!

 

Have you researched Alzheimer's? They have things that help delay the onset, or what they THINK delays onset, now, don't they? I hope so, anyway! You've got to think that being brought up healthfully would help! Hopefully it does!

[Liz CA]

Well I'm not American, but I have to say I 100% agree with this.

 

Also isn't it interesting that since all these diet products came out and fat became "evil", the population is so much heavier.

 

I LOVE butter and I don't have diet/lite/low fat products in the house and our entire family is not even slightly over weight. I'd say that the key to a healthy diet is lots of good fresh food, exercise and balance in the other stuff.

 

Congrats on your weight loss OP, that's impressive!!

 

:iagree:Some good oil and butter add to the digestibility of some grain or vegetables. A little bit won't hurt, of course one can really overdo it.

I also buy whole milk and use butter freely (not margarine).

It's likely more about portion control. In the U.S. we have gotten too much into the "all you can eat" mode.

A balanced diet and reasonable portions should maintain weight, not add pounds.

Congrats on your weight loss! This is fantastic. A little bit of butter / oil should not worry you.

[Colleen]

Why do Americans almost always feel it is necessary to add oil/butter/fat/meat to veggies?

 

I most often use some butter or extra virgin olive oil when cooking vegetables ~ certainly not to the point of "saturating" them. But I'm puzzled why you consider an American phenomenon the use of fats in combination with vegetables. You mentioned that your ex-husband from France put butter on everything. I don't know that I've ever eaten a meal in Europe wherein "good" fats weren't included. Whereas I've heard many a European express distaste at steamed, "bland" (in their opinions) vegetables that are common to some restaurants in America.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

I use butter on fresh veggies, or saute them in oil or butter, most of the time. Sometimes I don't put anything on them. I only use a minimum amount, but it make them taste so much better.

 

I must say, I detest veggies boiled to death with bacon or salt pork. They give me gas and make me bloated from all the salt. (tmi?)

 

I have to have some fat in my diet. I found out that when I go too low fat, something inside me goes wacky. I get extremely depressed and cry non-stop. Butter and oil that I add myself are the preferred fats, I try to stay away from other sources.

[*anj*]

despite knowing that the "food" there contains 2% mouse and as much salt as we need for a week.

 

 

I DID NOT KNOW THIS!

What do you mean?

Where did you get that information?

I don't eat it very often at all, but "not often" would turn to "never again" if I really believed that. Please tell me where you heard such a thing! :ack2:

[*anj*]

But aren't many traditional Indian dishes made with Ghee? I've never eaten plan veggies (Indian) style. All my cookbooks from there have loads of Ghee and/or yogurt.

 

Exactly. I'm wondering if the OP's dad, having been raised in England, missed out on a lot of authentic Indian cuisine. I have eaten a lot of Indian food, both at restaurants and prepared by wonderful Indian homechefs. I also have a couple of authentic cookbooks. They always have some form of fat, whether it's ghee, regular butter, cream, or butter. I think that traditionally people all over the world have known that vegetables cannot offer long term satiety unless they are mixed with a little fat. Fat is not evil in itself. It's more like the love of fat is the root of all kinds of obesity.

 

Okay, I'm getting sucked in.

Must. Go. Plan!!!!

[DIY-DY]

I've had three or four friends who tried unsuccessfully to LOSE weight until they went to see a nutritionalist - in all three cases, after doing a full evaluation, the nutritionalists each recommended first thing on the agenda was to incorporate more healthy fats into their diets. All three. They simply weren't getting enough fat for their bodies to metabolize properly!

 

And in the spirit of full disclosure, we're fat-eaters. (But no, I wasn't one of the nutritionalists! LOL!) I believe in the "everything in moderation" approach to food. ;)

[Greta]

Hi Mom to Aly,

 

Congratulations on your weight loss! That is very impressive.

 

Why do Americans almost always feel it is necessary to add oil/butter/fat/meat to veggies?

 

I would like to point out that this isn't just Americans -- it is traditional to do so in virtually every culture. Further I would argue that it is quite healthy to do so. Eating vegetables and fruits with fat enables the body to fully absorb and assimilate the fat-soluble nutrients (Vit A for example) that are in those veggies and fruits. One of the many dangers of a low-fat diet is that it depletes the body of the fat-soluble vitamins.

 

We grew up with no butter or oil, and no salt in my house (told you I should be thin!!).

 

Actually, I would not really expect someone who eats that way to be thin. Eating fat stimulates your metabolism and "teaches" it to burn fat. Eating a primarily carbohydrate-based diet by contrast "teaches" the body to store fat. Americans are a perfect example of this. A century ago, the American diet was very rich in fat. But since fat became demonized and carbohydrates praised, our society has been gaining weight steadily ever since, and not surprisingly, suffering from escalating rates of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease as well (though these aren't just from the low-fat craze -- they are caused by the ridiculous amounts of sugar and high fructose corn syrup in the diet combined with abandoning healthful traditional fats in favor of partially hydrogenated oils).

 

I love veggies, and I want to taste them! Why add all the rest?

 

Fat, to me, doesn't "hide" the flavor, it enhances it! Fat triggers satiety and makes every meal more filling, more pleasurable, and more healthful. Veggies without some sort of fat on them are, to my mind, rabbit food, not quite fit for *human* consumption! :D And if I eat fruit without some sort of fat (cream cheese, etc.) that is waaaaay too much sugar for me. Fat slows down the absorption so that I don't get a blood sugar spike (followed by a crash).

 

I'm curious, do you even avoid vegetable-derived fats such as coconut oil and olive oil?

[Peek a Boo]

I DID NOT KNOW THIS!

What do you mean?

Where did you get that information?

I don't eat it very often at all, but "not often" would turn to "never again" if I really believed that. Please tell me where you heard such a thing! :ack2:

 

 

I doubt the "2%" thing, but almost all foods have a small percentage of, uh, bugs or critters in them. It's all about the concentration level.

 

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/06/29/how_many_insect_parts_and_rodent_hairs_are_allowed_in_your_food.htm

[Jenny in Atl]

I think that traditionally people all over the world have known that vegetables cannot offer long term satiety unless they are mixed with a little fat. Fat is not evil in itself. It's more like the love of fat is the root of all kinds of obesity.

 

Okay, I'm getting sucked in.

Must. Go. Plan!!!!

 

I can't think of an "ethnic" food that does not "dress" veggies. Thai, Chinese, Japanese, South Pacific, African, South American, etc. I think that's the point most of us have been trying to make, that it's not just americans who like some oil, butter, or other sauces/juices on their veggies, but most everybody.

[The Governess]

There are multiple viewpoints on whether people should eat saturated fats like butter, etc. or if they should be avoided. I read a book recently by a doctor who believes that you can eat all the fat you want - it's sugar that causes cholesterol.

 

Here's her website:

 

http://www.schwarzbeinprinciple.com/pgs/home.html

 

Not that I am 100% sold on what she's saying, but she definitely brings up some interesting points. I would love to see some more research on this.

 

Anyway, it sounds like you might want to add some fat somewhere in your diet, and not just for taste factor! We get so many important things from fats. As long as you keep in consideration that fats add quite a few calories and compensate accordingly, you should be able to add them into your diet and still lose the weight you want.

 

Great job so far, and good luck!!!

[Greta]

I read a book recently by a doctor who believes that you can eat all the fat you want - it's sugar that causes cholesterol.

 

Here's her website:

 

http://www.schwarzbeinprinciple.com/pgs/home.html

 

I've heard of that book but I've never read it. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out! I definitely agree with the premise that I think this is based on that cholesterol is highly misunderstood. From what I've read, the only link between cholesterol and heart disease that has actually been proven is that HDL protects against it -- and HDL comes from eating *naturally* saturated fats (NOT trans fats!). Also, and maybe this is more what she was emphasizing, I have heard that triglycerides are correlated with heart disease, and that particular kind of cholesterol comes from eating carbohydrates, particularly sugar and high fructose corn syrup. I eat a high-fat, low-carb diet and my HDL is high and my triglycerides are low, so I tend to not worry about heart disease. My parents eat the Standard American Diet (SAD) and their HDL is low and their triglycerides are high. I worry about them.

 

Well, long-winded way of saying thanks for posting this!

[sdWTMer]

I doubt the "2%" thing, but almost all foods have a small percentage of, uh, bugs or critters in them. It's all about the concentration level.

 

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/06/29/how_many_insect_parts_and_rodent_hairs_are_allowed_in_your_food.htm

 

:eek:

[chaik76]

OK, I posted recently about having lost 61 pounds (I'm up to 63 now:D), so you know I'm not thin. But I should be, for the way I cook--hey, I've always had a slow metabolism, raised vegetarian, which does make a dif.

 

Anyway, I was looking at the green bean recipe swap thread, and I don't get it. Why do Americans almost always feel it is necessary to add oil/butter/fat/meat to veggies? I have never and will never do this (well, obviously not the meat, but the rest, too). We grew up with no butter or oil, and no salt in my house (told you I should be thin!!). I love veggies, and I want to taste them! Why add all the rest?

 

Please tell me--I really don't get it! And isn't a big point of veggies the whole healthy side? Why do the whole fat thing to yourselves? I live in VA, where you basically cannot get veggies in a rest w/o meat in them, and if you can, they are saturated with oil or butter. WHY, WHY, WHY???

Well, I believe fats ARE healthy. I try to eat in a way I consider healthy...this means meats, vegetables, unprocessed grains (those I am not allergic too). And honestly, I LIKE the taste of butter on my veggies! YUM!

[dragons in the flower bed]

I DID NOT KNOW THIS!

What do you mean?

Where did you get that information?

I don't eat it very often at all, but "not often" would turn to "never again" if I really believed that. Please tell me where you heard such a thing! :ack2:

 

My mom's coworker told her, and Mom was skeptical. The coworker was insistent, so they made a bet. On her break, Mom called McDonald's corporate. They confirmed that it's true. IIRC, they said they don't do it on purpose -- the mice fall in during the manufacturing process.

 

I understand that this is common in factory-produced foods, not unique to McDonalds.

[PariSarah]

For about two years, we cut out most fat, a lot of salt, all sugar, and a host of other things. I did enjoy learning to like the taste of the veggies themselves, without other things "boosting" (AKA disguising) the flavor.

 

So, yes, I agree that veggies can and do taste great without glopping loads of butter or ranch dressing on them.

 

But, now that our need for a "clean" diet is not so urgent, I've found that using those things in moderation is just good cooking. A small pat of butter along with some fresh ginger makes fabulous cooked carrots. A little drizzle of olive oil makes couscous fragrant and delicious. A couple drops of dark sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds makes asparagus divine. And so on.

 

I don't see most "traditional" foods as unhealthy in themselves, just in the quantities Americans tend to use them. Butter, sauces, gravies, dips--all that stuff really does enhance certain foods when well-made and used with a light touch.

 

And, perhaps, a slightly heavier touch when convincing the green-averse among us to chow down. ;)

[PariSarah]

. . . for me to avoid heavily processed foods. By which I mean, pretty much anything that didn't come from my garden.

 

Yuck!

 

Thank you . . . sort of.

[The Governess]

I've heard of that book but I've never read it. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out! I definitely agree with the premise that I think this is based on that cholesterol is highly misunderstood. From what I've read, the only link between cholesterol and heart disease that has actually been proven is that HDL protects against it -- and HDL comes from eating *naturally* saturated fats (NOT trans fats!). Also, and maybe this is more what she was emphasizing, I have heard that triglycerides are correlated with heart disease, and that particular kind of cholesterol comes from eating carbohydrates, particularly sugar and high fructose corn syrup. I eat a high-fat, low-carb diet and my HDL is high and my triglycerides are low, so I tend to not worry about heart disease. My parents eat the Standard American Diet (SAD) and their HDL is low and their triglycerides are high. I worry about them.

 

Well, long-winded way of saying thanks for posting this!

 

It's a very interesting book. Yeah, she did some experimenting with her diabetic patients' diets...many of whom had heart disease. I guess their diets were high carb and low fat. She switched them to a low carb, low sugar, higher fat diet and watched all of their numbers improve - many of them were able to go off their meds simply by changing their diet this way.

 

I have a real carb weakness...but after reading this book I really feel like I need to cut back. It's definitely worth a read!