Welcome to the VeganCoach.com newsletter focusing on everyday vegan advice. The Golden Banana Newsletter is dedicated to assisting you with your everyday vegan cooking and nutrition questions.

It is my sincere hope that the information I provide on my little website assists you in being the healthiest Vegan you can be.

Wishing you all a beautiful day -- and a fantastically successful 2008! :O)
Sassy

As a Vegan Nutritional Consultant I assist my clients by examining their current diet to figure out areas that might need more attention. It’s nice to have someone you can go to for advice that's YOU-nique.

For more information about this service, please visit the Vegan Nutrition Coaching page.

PLEASE NOTE: For an easy-to-view version of this newsletter, or past issues, please visit the VeganCoach.com Backissues Page.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Coming This Spring...

Get *SAUCED* With Sass!

How To Create Delectable
Meat-Free, Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Vegan Sauces
WITHOUT Recipes!

Dear Sassy,
For baking is Spectrum Shortening a good substitute for the vegan soy margarine, or is it healthier to use canola or olive oil conversion?
-- Lisa, Dayton, New Jersey

Hi Lisa,

This is a great question because it brings up the topic of fats which is extremely important. I think many of us likely go through the same route as we learn more about vegan foods, trying to discover which foods are going to support our good health.

So let's dissect some of these options you've listed so you can make an informed choice for your baking needs.

First of all, what is shortening? It's a fat used in food preparation, especially baked goods. It's called "shortening" because it slows the formation of long gluten strands in wheat-based doughs. This gives them a "short" texture (as in shortbread). Many times, you'll find people using shortening when making pie crusts, for instance, because it tends to make for a flakier crust.

The only bummer is, most shortenings are chock full of trans fats because they've been hydrogenated, which means the vegetable oil has been filled with hydrogen to enable the oil to become more firm and "creamy". And this is the same process margarines go through. I'm assuming those dangerous trans fats are your reason for wanting to avoid margarine (vegan or not) -- a very smart idea! ;O)

The cool thing about Spectrum Shortening is that it's non- hydrogenated, so you're not getting those harmful trans fats that we all should be trying to avoid. And the same goes for Earth Balance Spread which is also non-hydrogenated. (Now, what magical process they all use to make their shortening and spread so firm and "creamy" is too detailed to go into here, but you can certainly find this information on Spectrum's website.)

Now, let's chat about oils for a minute. Oils can either be refined or unrefined.

When an oil is refined it means that it's been mechanically pressed and treated with hexane, a dangerous chemical, exposed to high temperatures, deodorizing and bleaching. Its health-giving qualities are processed away, and its omega-3s are converted into trans fats. Even "lightly refined" and "expeller pressed" oils can be exposed to deodorizing, and when most oils are subjected to extremely high heat, they're forever changed and no longer offer the nutritional support you desire.

When you see oils on your grocery shelf that are packaged in see-through containers, those oils have been refined to make sure they're stable at high temperatures, and so they can sit on the shelves for long periods of time.

Unrefined oils have NOT been subject to these potentially dangerous methods. Cold-pressed is always the optimum oil due to the fact that high heat is not used, therefore the nutritional qualities stay intact. You'll usually find cold-pressed, unrefined oils packaged in dark containers, many times (but not always) refrigerated.

Some oils can be expeller pressed and NOT treated with the dangerous hexane, thus not subjected to high heat. Be sure to check your source to be sure your expeller-pressed oil is also cold-pressed.

Finally, the last tidbit of information you might need when deciding on which fat to use regards the difference between saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Every fat always contains a little of each, but there is usually one fat which predominates.

Saturated fats aren't necessarily bad for you unless they're accompanied by cholesterol (such as butter). Polyunsaturated fats and monosaturated fats are certainly considered among some of the best fats you can ingest AS LONG AS they're unrefined. The minute they become refined their nutritional qualities change and they can actually become harmful to your health. The same goes for heating -- although some oils which you purchase can be subjected to high heats (such as baking) without changing too awfully much.

There is one slight exception to this rule and that's coconut oil and other tropical oils, such as palm oil. Coconut oil should be purchased cold-pressed and unrefined whenever possible, however, it's a very stable oil and can actually withstand higher cooking temperatures, as you'll see below.

[On a side note: Coconut oil has gotten an extremely bad rap over the years due to its saturated fat content. But not all saturated fat is the same, and the saturated fat which is inherent in coconut oil is made up of lauric acid, which is also found in abundance in human breast milk. I've researched coconut oil and have switched nearly all my oils to coconut (with the exception of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil). I also use Earth Balance for two reasons only: To top my pancakes and French toast, and to pour (melted) over my popcorn. I encourage you to do your own research and come to your own conclusions. I highly recommend the book The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife.]

Now, back to the topic at hand! :O)

Check out this chart:

* For cooking up to 225 degrees F, use safflower, sunflower or pumpkin oil. At this low temperature you can use the unrefined versions of these oils. The refined versions of the same oils can be used at higher temperatures—see below.
* For cooking up to 325 degrees F, use the unrefined forms of soy, corn, almond, peanut, olive, or sesame oil.
* For cooking up to 350 degrees F, butter, semi-refined canola oil, coconut oil, or semi-refined soy oil.
* For cooking up to 375 degrees F, coconut oil.
* For cooking up to 400 degrees F, extra-virgin olive oil, refined sesame oil, refined corn oil.
* For cooking up to 450 degrees F, refined safflower oil, refined soy oil, refined peanut oil, extra-light olive oil.
* For cooking up to 500 degrees F, use avocado oil, grapeseed oil.

Most unrefined oils remain stable at temps up to 325 degrees. But most baking is done at 350 or higher. So it seems as far as your good health is concerned that extra-virgin olive oil and coconut oil just might be your best oils when dealing with high temperatures. Personally, I always add a little liquid such as water or veggie broth to any pan in which I'm heating olive oil, such as when I saute with olive oil. This lowers the temperature of the oil and helps to protect the nutritive value.

But let's break these products down and view each one individually. I'm including comments, but please note these are just my personal thoughts. Please draw your own conclusions...

Spectrum Organic Cold-Pressed Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Unrefined
Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Tbsp (14g)

Amount per Serving
Calories 120
Calories from Fat 120

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g - 22%
Saturated Fat 2g - 10%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g †
Monounsaturated Fat 11g †
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. † Daily Value not established.

Sassy sez: Low in saturated fat. High in monosaturated. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil is ALWAYS going to be best when not heated, such as when used as a dressing on a green leafy salad. But if you must heat it, as shown above, it can take temps up to 400 degrees. Spectrum's website says all of their organic oils are made using a certified organic, chemical-free process, which is certainly the way to go.

Spectrum Organic Canola Oil, Refined (It's difficult to find unrefined Canola Oil)
Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 tbsp (14g)

Amount per Serving
Calories 120
Calories from Fat 120

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g - 22%
Saturated Fat 1g - 5%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g †
Monounsaturated Fat 9g †

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. † Daily Value not established.

Sassy sez: Low in saturated fat. Highest in monosaturated. But since Canola Oil is generally only found in a refined form, I would steer clear of it -- unless you can find it unrefined.

Spectrum Organic Shortening
Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Tbsp (13g)

Amount per Serving
Calories 110
Calories from Fat 110

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g - 20%
Saturated Fat 6g - 32%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g †
Monounsaturated Fat 5g †

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. † Daily Value not established.

Sassy sez: Highest in saturated fats, but containing zero cholesterol. Here's what their website says about how they make their shortening: "To make Spectrum Naturals Organic Shortening, we start with organic palm oil, extracted via manual pressing without the use of harmful chemicals. The oil is refined using a certified organic, chemical-free process similar to Spectrum's other organic oils. The palm oil is then whipped using nitrogen, resulting in creamy consistency similar to conventional shortening."

I would encourage you to do a little more research into their refining process before drawing your conclusion. But it's very apparent the Spectrum Shortening is head and shoulders above other shortenings available today, such as Crisco. In any case, I would use this product sparingly.

Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread
Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Tbsp (11g)

Amount per Serving
Calories 80
Calories from Fat 80

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g - 14%
Saturated Fat 2.5g - 13%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g †
Monounsaturated Fat 2.5g †

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. † Daily Value not established.

Sassy sez: Lowest in calories of all the fats we're comparing. Lowest in total fat content too. Their website says this product is expeller pressed (refined), which is the only sad point about it for me because I really do love the taste of Earth Balance. I recommend using this product sparingly.

Butter
Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Tbsp (14g)

Amount per Serving
Calories 100
Calories from Fat 100

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g - 17%
Saturated Fat 7g - 36%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g (may not be accurate)
Monounsaturated Fat 0g (may not be accurate)

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. † Daily Value not established.

Sassy sez: For comparisons sake, let's take a look at butter. It's not refined, of course, which is a good thing and makes it a better choice than any vegan margarines out there. It's high in saturated fats, which means it will be more stable when it encounters high heat. But due to the amount of cholesterol it's not a very healthy choice, in my opinion, and I would avoid it. (Also, it's not vegan; however, I've always felt it was much better to make dietary decisions on the impact to your health versus whether or not it contains animal products.)

Organic Coconut Oil, Unrefined
Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Tbsp (14g)

Amount per Serving
Calories 120
Calories from Fat 120

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g - 22%
Saturated Fat 12g - 60%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g †
Monounsaturated Fat 1g †

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. † Daily Value not established.

Sassy sez: Highest in saturated fats, but containing no cholesterol. And with what I've learned about the nutritional benefits of coconut oil, this is certainly my first choice whether for cooking or baking.

So there you have it. All the information I can think of to help you draw your own conclusions.

If you've decided to use oil in your baking instead of butter/margarine, then this handy little chart may help you to convert your recipes:

Butter/Margarine vs. Oil
1 teaspoon = 3/4 teaspoon
1 tablespoon = 2 1/4 teaspoons
2 tablespoons = 1 1/2 tablespoons
1/4 cup = 3 tablespoons
1/3 cup = 1/4 cup
1/2 cup = 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons 2/3 cup = 1/2 cup
3/4 cup = 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon
1 cup = 3/4 cup

I hope this exercise has been helpful to you, Lisa. Probably a little more info that you were barganing for (!) but hopefully it has helped to clear things up in the fats/oils/shortening department so you can make a more informed choice.

For more information about healthy fats, please follow this link to visit my 3-part article entitled "Vegan Fats of LIfe".

Dear Sassy,
I was having a problem accessing the Vegan Main Dish Menu. I notice all the other menu are highlighted. Are you still working on this.
-- Miljan, Chicago, Illinois

Hi Miljan,

Great to hear from you. The quick answer is yes, I still have yet to add the Vegan Main Dishes, along with many other categories on the Vegan Recipes page. I'm working hard to fill in all of the missing pieces on my site, including adding more vegetables, grains, proteins, and fruits -- yes, Garrick, they're coming! ;O)

As you can imagine, there's just so very much to do, in addition to various article deadlines, newsletters, Nutritional Consulting, the VeganCoach.com blog, my in-the-works project Get Sauced With Sass and my never-ending studies.

So thank you for your patience as I work to make VeganCoach.com bigger and better than ever. :O)

Dear Sassy,
I like your recent article about beans as it is very informative. Do we need to cover the beans when soaking? Why?
-- JK, Singapore

Hi JK,

Covering your beans while they soak is not essential. But personally, I DO cover my beans when soaking. The reasons for this revolve mostly around the fact that it keeps out dust and other objects which float through the air. In addition, soaking is helping to break down the food in order to make it easier to digest and so it cooks up faster. This process tends to warm the beans up just the tiniest bit, and thus the beans will emit the slightest odor. Not enough to really waft through your entire home, but it's still something that can be just completely avoided by covering. The choice is entirely yours.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

My recent trip to Costa Rica brought me to an adorable little place called The Funky Monkey where their fantastic chef Raf created delectable vegan breakfasts and dinners for Jeff and me. What a treat to encounter a chef in Costa Rica who actually knows how to do vegan right (he has 2 vegan daughters!).

Raf shared this banana pancake recipe with me, and I've made just the slightest changes to it. I'm telling you, it doesn't get any easier than this. The amounts of ingredients will vary according to where you live (I live at 4500 feet here in Reno, so I must add more liquids to my recipes than those who live at sea level). So play around with it, and enjoy!

Raf's Super Duper Easy Banana Pancakes
Serves 2

In a blender, blend until smooth: