Some questions (IE. Alternative to coconut oil for cooking (Norway))

(August) #1

Hi! I’m new to this forum. I started keto in February this year, and I’ve lost about 17 kg of fat. I’ve been working out a bit in this time as well, and my stomach is now flat and the lovehandles are almost completely gone :slight_smile:
I guess we all have to find our way when it comes to shopping for ingredients since markets vary from country to country, but I guess it’s safe to say that highly processed carb foods are bountiful on the shop shelves all across the western world.

I have some questions that maybe some of you could help me with:

  1. I find coconut oil a bit bland to cook with. I guess I could simply cook with butter, but are there other alternatives? We used to have something called “smult” (lard) in the shops a few years back, but none of the shops have it anymore. Not even the foreigner shops. All I see are plant-based oils :frowning:
  2. Are there any “hard-core” keto cookbooks that only do zero to a minimum amount of carbs that you could recommend? E-books preferred.
  3. What are recommended staple sources of essential fatty acids so you get a good variety?

Thanks so much for your attention and answers :slight_smile:

August

#2

Well done on the fat loss! I usually cook in bacon fat or olive oil. Olive oil also gives the double whammy of being a good source of fatty acids. Avocado, salmon and eggs are also good sources. :slightly_smiling_face:

(LeeAnn Brooks) #3

I like to use avacado oil for cooking savory dishes.

(Jo O) #4

You can get a coconut oil that is a bit more refined that will not have the strong smell or taste.

Ghee or bacon fat.
But ghee is my standby favorite.
High smoke point, no refrigeration needed, tastes incredible if you make it yourself from butter.
I let the milk solids brown in the clarifying process. The ghee gets a caramel flavor.

(Chris Robertson) #5

For cooking I use fats that are solid at room temp. They are more stable and don’t break down from the heat of cooking. The coconut oil I can get in my area is always extra virgin which is not suitable for stove top cooking. Instead I use animal fat. I go to my local butcher and order a large chunk of raw, unrendered pork fat and a block of unrendered beef fat. I get it incredibly cheap because they usually just through it away but I do have to give them 3 days notice so that they know to save me some. I then render the fat myself. The best part is that the solids left in the pan at the end taste awesome with some salt. I also use clarified butter to cook with when I don’t have any animal fat to cook with.

(Michelle) #6

Lots of great oils for sautéing veggies and meat
Butter
Bacon grease
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Beef tallow

For full fat salad dressings I will often use
Avocado oil
Walnut oil
Higher quality olive oil

(Chris Robertson) #7

Virgin olive oil and virgin coconut oil shouldn’t be used for cooking. They break down at relatively low temps and become unhealthy. If it’s been processed then it can be great for cooking. You do have to be careful, at least you do in the UK, because a lot of factories sell coconut oil and olive oil that doesn’t have very much coconut oil or olive oil in it. It is mostly unhealthy oils like vegetable or rapeseed mixed with a small amount of the healthy stuff.

(August) #8

Thanks a lot for your input, folks :slight_smile: I appreciate it. I wish our society was more inline with recent research on LCHF and all of its health benefits, and that I stores weren’t filled to the brim with all the stuff that’s bad for most of us. Ghee, tallow and other animal fats have been completely removed from our stores here in Norway, and all that is left is mostly plant hydrogenated oils.

I might be able to get avocado oil from a specialist store, but it’s probably gonna be crazy expensive. I guess butter and coconut oil will be my main cooking oils in the foreseeable future :wink: