Council cooking advice

[TPFKA@W]

I can't find where I read it but I did read that American's of 100-150 years ago consumed twice as many calories as they do now, without any prevalence of obesity. I believe it is really more about exercise, the lack of, than any other reason.

[TPFKA@W]

Further evidence to support this is found among the Amish. Typically their diet is high in fat, carbohydrates and calories, but they move from dusk to dawn. They don't snack a lot but they do eat Biscuits, sausage, gravy and all the things we are taught to avoid yet have decent cholesterol levels. The secret is in the lack of labor saving devices and walking.

[TPFKA@W]

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Something for Rubato.

[Guinevere]

For me, it is a combo of both. I eat pretty well, don't eat crap, drink plenty of water and avoid sugarly useless drinks, candy, and most sweets. But I do like a good meal and a good drink, and its easy to have a bit too much. Over time, that adds up. Engaging in an hour of exercise, 5-6 days a week, is really important for my health and fitness. If not, the pounds come back on.

Even in an urban area, its also difficult for me to find quick, healthy options when I'm on the road, or working late, and need to have a meal. There is really nothing healthy you can get from any drive-in, and it almost all tastes like crap anyway (yes, including those McDonald's fries). My default is usually unsweetened iced tea or iced decaf with milk (no fake sugars please) and some type of egg/english muffin sandwich. Even then, it doesn't taste terribly good, but its better than many options.

[MajGenl.Meade]

[oldr_n_wsr]

unsweetened iced tea

I'm a big unsweetened iced tea fan. With a twist of lemon of course.

[Jarlaxle]

Other than the use of sunflower or rapeseed (canola) oil (I honestly don't recall what the oil was, but it was stable to continued heating at 350F), we did every one of these things when I was the cook in a restaurant during high school/college. It's pretty standard restaurant practice; not sure what cost the 3000 pounds; perhaps the printing?

Corn, possibly? Many places fry with it due to lower cost.

[Big RR]

Perhaps, but I don't think so; corn oil usually has a characteristic odor, and I think the containers it came in said it was something different.

[Guinevere]

I have never deep fried anything in my life -- but I think places used to use peanut oil because of the high smoke/flash point (and also, presumably, because it was cheap).

[Big RR]

I think soybean oil was used quite a bit as well (although a lot of it was partially hydrogenated, giving rise to trans fats).

The only thing I can recall is that the oil was always liquid, even if stored outside in the winter, which pretty much rules out any animal products.

Personally, I like peanut oil as it is fairly stable at high temperatures and relatively neutral in taste.

[wesw]

peanut oil isn t cheap now...

I do agree that low nutrition, high calorie and carb food is the cheapest. that is a problem for people who have little money and hungry children.

most people assume that they would not sell it if it would kill you. wrong!!!!!

if I did not plant my garden we would be hard pressed to eat healthily

[Jarlaxle]

I have never deep fried anything in my life -- but I think places used to use peanut oil because of the high smoke/flash point (and also, presumably, because it was cheap).

Five Guys still cooks in peanut oil.

[TPFKA@W]

Five Guys has the best fries too.

[BoSoxGal]

Sedentary lifestyle IS a big issue, BUT - any personal trainer or physician will tell you that what you put in your mouth is THE key to weight gain/loss. You can work out all you want and it won't overcome really bad eating habits - and many Americans have really bad eating habits, because they eat too much shitty food in overly large portions.

It's true that folks who still live like early 1900s (Hutterites here in Montana) don't have the same obesity rates as other Americans - but in addition to working hard all day in physical activity, they generally don't eat processed food. Processed food is crap, crap, crap - dense in calories and deficit in nutrients.