When you go out to eat, many restaurants will serve you some kind of pre-sliced bread in a lined basket with either butter or oil on the side. For example, Longhorn Steakhouse serves butter with their bread, while Not Your Average Joe's serves a dish of seasoned oil. The difference: butter is a saturated fat; oil is an unsaturated fat. Could one of these options be detrimental to your health?
In chemical terms, the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats is the number of hydrogen atoms bonded to carbon atoms. In a saturated fat molecule, every carbon is single-bonded to both another carbon and two to three hydrogen atoms (so that it is "saturated" with as many hydrogen atoms as possible). In an unsaturated fat molecule, at least one carbon is double-bonded to another carbon, meaning that there is one less hydrogen atom in the same length carbon chain.
Saturated fats are found in butter, milk, meats and other animal-based products and are known to have negative effects on the heart. Saturated fats also increase "bad" cholesterol. Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, increase "good" cholesterol while simultaneously decreasing "bad" cholesterol, and are commonly found in nuts and oils.
To put it simply, choose oil over butter. Oil can be seasoned however you'd like, and it's good for your heart!
http://cholesterol.about.com/cs/faq/f/difference.htm
http://cholesterol.about.com/cs/faq/f/difference.htm
Although the bread and butter that they serve at most restaurants is absolutely delicious I have been to restaurants that serve oil with the bread and it is equally delicious. The Macaroni Grill serves a seasoned oil with their bread and it single handedly turned me to start eating oil and bread instead of bread and butter.
ReplyDeleteA great tip for eating out. You can also be creative with the seasonings used in the oils, as well. Also, another way to differenciate between sat and usat fat is the nature of it at room temp. Oil is liquid and butter is a solid. Looking forward to the next topic.
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