Nature doesn’t make bad fats – factories do.
In that spirit, Coast Packing Company is proud to be a charter member of the Healthy Fats Coalition, a new educational initiative comprised of like-minded organizations, companies and individuals who understand that healthy fats aren’t merely having a moment – they’re here to stay, as an essential part of the American diet.
In her 2014 New York Times bestseller, Big Fat Surprise (Simon & Schuster), Nina Teicholz put it best: “The rush to banish animal fats from our diets has exposed us to the health risks of trans fats and oxidizing vegetable oils. If we had not abandoned meat and dairy, we could still be using lard, suet, tallow, and butter as our principal fats for cooking and eating. These fats are stable, do not oxidize, and have been consumed since the beginning of recorded human history.”
The Healthy Fats Coalition is not a trade organization and is not in the business of promoting individual product or brands. It’s an awareness campaign, reflecting the marked change in what Americans think about the health benefits of minimally-processed animal fats. Its mission is simple: affirm that minimally processed, trans fat-free animal fats deserve a central place in the American diet – and in the popular imagination.
The Coalition believes that animal fats have been demonized for too long. Fat matters both for taste and for general health and well-being. The reality is that animal fats, in moderation, are not as problematic as they once were thought to be, they have tangible health benefits, and their artificial/manufactured substitutes are far worse than originally thought. The Coalition embraces today’s compelling food culture, and recognizes that minimally processed animal fats belong in the kitchen – at restaurants and at home.
“If there’s a silver lining to those low-fat years, it’s this: we learned that fat is the soul of flavor, “Nina Teicholz writes. “Food is tasteless and cooking nearly impossible without fat. Fat is essential in the kitchen to produce crispness and to thicken sauces. It is crucial in conveying flavors. It makes baked goods flaky, moist, and light. And fat has many other, essential functions in cooking and baking.”
The Healthy Fats Coalition is dedicated to creating an enlightened conversation about the food we eat. If you’d like to join up and help shine a light on what remains a still-contentious but vital element of everyone’s diet – and, not so incidentally, what helps make food fabulous – please click here (email link, etc.). Wear the Coalition badge proudly on your website, and support those who display it.