What is Fat and What Fat Does?

What is Fat? Fat is both a nutrient and a food. As As a nutrient, it supplies concentrated energy. As a food, it adds flavor to meals. A scientific name for fat and fat like substances is lipid.
Fat itself is a compound of many types of fatty acids and a body chemical called glycerol. Your body can make most fatty acids from the fats you eat. But some fatty acids cannot be manufactured by the body. They must be present in the foods themselves. These essential fatty acids are necessary for good health.

Like carbohydrate and protein, fat is made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The chemical structure of fat is like a chain. Fat can be saturated, unsaturated, or polyunsaturated, depending on how much hydrogen is on the chain. A saturated fat molecule has as much hydrogen on its chain as it can hold. An unsaturated fat has less hydrogen, and a polyunsaturated fat has still less hydrogen. You can actually see the effect of this chemical structure. The more saturated a fat is, the more solid it is at room temperature. Oils are polyunsaturated.

Sometimes a manufacturer will hydrogenate, or add hydrogen to, an oil so that it will be more solid at room temperature. For example, margarine made from polyunsaturated oils is hydrogenated.

What Fat Does?

Fat gives you more energy than any other nutrient. It has more than twice as much energy per gram as carbohydrate and protein. Fatty acids are vital to cell growth, too.

Fat carries several vitamins through the body. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble. That is, the body can use them efficiently only if fat is also present in the diet.

Your body stores body fat, or adipose tissue. You need some adipose tissue for good health. A layer of fat below your skin acts as an insulator. It helps keep your body warm.

It also holds your vital organs in place and protects them from injury.

At mealtime, fats like butter and gravy add flavor to foods, such as bread and potatoes. A meal value with some fat also has greater staying power. It results to satiety. That is, it make you feel full longer.

Comments

How to Make Poke(Fish Salad)

Hawaiian Salmon Poke Good day! It's 2016 and Poke is said to be one of famous trending dish for this year. Poke is a raw fish salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine. Pokē is the Hawaiian verb for "section" or "to slice or cut". Ahi poke is generally made with yellowfin tuna but in modern poke recipes raw salmon, smoked octopus, to various shell fish and generally any bite size appetizer seasoned with the common "poke" seasonings can be considered Poke. Modern poke can be found with a myriad amount of different ingredients and combinations. Aside from the common basic ingredients such as soy sauce and sea salt poke can be seasoned with ingredients such as, inamona (roasted crushed candlenut), sesame oil, limu seaweed, and chopped chili pepper, fish eggs, wasabi, green onions, Maui onions, sriracha, mayonnaise. Other variations of poke may include cured heʻe (octopus), other types of raw tuna, raw salmon and various kinds of shell fish. R

How to Make Gardenia Tea | One of the Healthiest Tea

Hi Foodies! If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, this drink is for you! Today, we will be talking about Gardenia Tea. It is made from Gardenia extract, a natural extract derived from the Gardenia jasminoides plant, also known as the Cape jasmine. It is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine and is believed to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. It is also used in skincare and haircare products for its moisturizing and brightening effects. Today, some energy drinks have incorporated Gardenia extract and have seen improvements in their health for those people who drink it for consumption. What I will share today is how to make gardenia extract tea and just need 2 ingredients: Fresh or dried Gardenia jasminoides flowers Hot water Sugar(if you want a little bit of sweetness) Instructions: Start by picking or purchasing fresh or dried Gardenia jasminoides flowers. Place a small handful of the flowers in a tea infuser or strainer. Bring a pot

How to Make French Toasted Tuna Sandwiches

Tuna is so easily available in canned form that people in many parts of the United States have never tasted fresh tuna. Different varieties are caught off the Pacific coast and off the coast of Florida. Fresh tuna can be baked or broiled with a variety of sauces or eaten raw in Japanese sushi or sashimi. Because of tuna's low calorie and no fat, its perfect for low fat and low calorie diet as a sandwich filling. Ingredients 196 (7 ounce) can tuna 60 ml (1/4 cup) celery, finely chopped 60 ml (1/4 cup) onion, finely chopped 60 ml (1/4 cup) salad dressing, mayonnaise-type 12 slices bread, dry 2 eggs, beaten 80 ml (1/3 cup) milk 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) vanilla 30 ml (2 tablespoons) oil or fat Directions Drain and flake tuna. Mix with celery, onion, relish, and salad dressing. Spread tuna mixture on 6 slices of bread; top with remaining slices. Mix eggs, milk, and vanilla. Dip sandwiches into egg mixture to coat each side. Brown in fat on a hot griddle or in a fryi

Your Cooking Tips and Recipes

Search This Blog