Fat count

[jreid]

So in the magazine there is the fat info at the bottom of each recipe. I am thinking about baking the Vegtable Lasagna on pg 140 in the Jan/Feb 2001 magazine. But it says that there are 10.9g of fat. I don't understand if this is per serving or for the whole recipe. Becuase it doesn't seem that they ingredients could possibly make 10.9g of fat per slice. The recipe says that it makes 6 servings, so does that mean that there is over 60 grams of fat in the whole thing, because if so THAT IS GROSS!!

[BethR]

I think the fat count is correct -- 10.9 grams per serving. The pesto is pretty fat-dense, and the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses are part-skim, so they have fat in them as well. I don't count fat grams so much as try to get 30% or less of my calories from fat. This dish just slides in at 30, with 10.9 fat grams = 98 calories, which is just a hair under 30% of 328 calories per serving.
If the fat grams bother you, you could use reduced-fat pesto, and fat free ricotta and mozzarella.

[This message has been edited by BethR (edited 01-19-2001).]

[laughsandlaughs]

10 grams of fat for a main dish serving isn't that much, especially when it's something like lasagna, when you'll probably just eat that and salad. You must get fat in order to be healthy, preferably 20-30% of your calories from fat. Even if you're on a restricted diet with only 1500 calories that's still 30-45 grams a day.

Why Some Fat is Good for You:

Fat is where our body stores excess calories. When your body's stores of carbohydrates have been depleted, which can occur after as little as 20 minutes of aerobic activity, it draws on necessary reserves of fat for energy.

Fat helps maintain healthy hair and skin.

Fat transports the important fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K through the blood stream.

Linoleic acid, one of the most essential fatty acids, helps ensure proper growth and development for infants.

Not getting enough fat in your diet is very unhealthy. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif



[This message has been edited by laughsandlaughs (edited 01-20-2001).]

[emilycat]

laughsandlaughs,

Bravo! Thanks for posting all that info so I didn't have to! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

Also, though, I wanted to add something...several studies have been conducted on the affects of fat consumption in athletes, and all of them have shown that a diet consisting of 20 - 30% fat leads to much greater performance levels than low fat consumption; i.e., 10-15 %.

Just make sure the fats you're getting are primarily the heart-healthy kind -- mono- and poly-unsaturated, and omega-3's.

Emily

[This message has been edited by emilycat (edited 01-20-2001).]

[BethR]

Thanks laughs and emilycat -- that's good info you've posted.
Beth http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[MrsReber]

And lest we forget....

Fat takes longer to digest so you feel full for a longer period of time. I have read articles on how people who snacked on fat laden peanuts lost more weight than people snacking on fat free foods because they ate LESS. Some people forget that low fat or no fat does not mean no calories!

[LGBurns]

Jreid: If you still want to make the lasagna lower in fat, I would recommend trying non-fat ricotta cheese. I always use this in my lasagnas and never notice the difference. In fact, I've served it to my most reduced-fat-adverse friends (the one's who insist that they know when something is low-fat because it has no flavor) and they raved about it. I had fun pointing out that it was actually lowfat.

[Grace]

I agree LG!! I too, use almost all fat-free products when making stuff for people who "claim" they can tell when something is low-fat. No one has ever been able to tell, and 99% of the time, they RAVE!