Recently by Mark Sisson: I Am Forever Changed
The leaders of the dietary establishment either keeled over or started arming themselves with pitchforks as I wrote that title. (It's a good day to enjoy the subversion, I think.) On a serious note, let me unpack this worthy question – one I tend to get often: how does one incorporate more fat into a day's eating? This common inquiry usually comes from someone new to the Primal way of eating; someone that has just started ditching grains and sugars and is having a hard time replacing carbs with the fats they’ve always been told to avoid. And replace, at least in part, they must, or experience the inevitable crankiness and hunger (and possible failure) associated with not eating enough food.
Of all the things we do for our health, I think we all find this to be one of the more enjoyable efforts – at least once we get the hang of it. Go as clean as you can of course – pastured and organic or as close to it as you can obtain and afford. (It ensures better nutrition and fewer toxins.) But let's not get caught up in details today. I'm ready to dig in. Are you?
Prep Foods Generously with Fat
Oh, those glorious pan drippings that get poured down sinks or thrown away in doubled up Dixie cups! It's a disgrace really – not to mention a blow to your plumbing. Save the fats! Store them with pride. Put a set of beautiful glass jars on your Christmas list just for this purpose. (And let everyone know exactly how you'll use them.)
Whether as hot drippings now or precious spoonfuls later, these fresh roasted fats are perfect for braising meats or sauting stir fry. Alternatively, coat the skin of whatever fowl you're cooking with a lavish dollop of duck fat, and you'll have a bird so succulent and skin so crisp it'll make you cry over your carving knife.
Pair veggies with fats. Sure, the clean and earthy tastes of vegetables stand on their own pretty darn well. (It's one thing so many people appreciate in going Primal – that reclaimed ability to taste the subtlety of fresh food.) That said, there's something so uniquely satisfying about vegetables treated to the richness of fats. Anyone who's roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon grease or drizzled chicken or goose fat over mashed turnips knows what I mean here.
Stock Up on Dark and Organ Meats – and Fat for Fat's Sake
Who are they calling cheap? The truth is, the anti-fat brigade doesn't know what they're missing. Let them pay extra for their boneless, skinless chicken breast. We're u201Cwhole animalu201D folk here. Their loss is our gain. So, relish those fully skinned chicken thighs, fatty roasts, and offal parts – and the fact that you got a good deal on them. MDA's got recipes galore to make sure you relish every frugal purchase. Although you'll be able to build up your own fat stores from cooking alone, consider buying a variety – slabs or rendered fats. Again, even the pastured, organic stuff can be budget-friendly here. A local butcher or direct-sale farm can set you up with fat from beast or fowl.
Fat. Fish.
The fattier the fish, the more chock full it generally is of healthy omega-3s (particularly if it's wild caught). Think smaller fish like herring, sardines, and anchovies, which are great whole as a snack or in salads. Larger fish like salmon, trout, and mackerel can be a first-rate main course but can also beef up a filling Primal salad.
