Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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I just recieved a very thoughtful gift from my in-laws, a cookbook called The Gluten-free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam. She endorses using agave syrup and grapeseed oil. I know that agave syrup is a highly refined, high fructose product, bu what about grapeseed oil? Would I be better off using butter or coconut oil? FWIW, I will be using recipes in the book for special occasions, and I'm not looking to add a new staple.

flag	asked May 14 2010 at 6:14 Mama J 1,499●1●10●19

I've made the simple almond bread recipe she has online, subbing in stevia and coconut oil for the agave and grapeseed oil and it came out pretty tasty. Made with a mashed banana added is a treat and so filling that one small slice is plenty. – Jeanne May 14 2010 at 12:56

Matt · Answer 1 · 2010-05-14 10:25:12Z UTC

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100 grams of grapeseed oil consists of roughly:

73% polyunsaturated fat - pretty much all omega 6 fat.

16% monounsaturated fat.

11% saturated fat.

There not much oil in grape seeds so it has to be chemicaly extracted to yeild decent amounts. It's quite similar to sunflower oil in composition.

answered May 14 2010 at 10:25

Matt
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bleragh....why not use coconut oil or lard instead? I think Elena doesn't use lard because she is Jewish, but for us gentiles it works fine :) – Bread-Eating Beelzebub May 14 2010 at 18:55

Nicole · Answer 2 · 2010-05-14 12:57:32Z UTC

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I'm glad to hear you are only using it for, um, candy cigarettes, but...

As far as I can tell, Elena has not seen a recipe that doesn't need agave nectar. You want to remember that it's mostly fructose when you're choosing your sweeteners. If you're concerned about fructose, agave nectar is worse than table sugar or honey. How it has earned a healthy halo is beyond me. It's a highly processed product, just like corn syrup.

Gluten-free is what led me to paleo because gluten-free baked goods are generally very calorically dense and provide little in the way of nutrients. Almond flour, while being mostly monounsaturated fat, does contain significant polyunsaturated fats.

But, what really keeps me stuck on paleo/primal is that if I eat the most nutritive foods possible, I do not overeat. Not being hungry all the time changed my life -- seriously!

answered May 14 2010 at 12:57

Nicole
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	I appreciate you sharing, and I also came to paleo from the realization that gluten-free foods were so often devoid of nourishment. And we don't use agave syrup at all in our house, having been informed for quite some time about the high fructose level it contains. I must, however, express my displeasure at the phrase "candy cigarettes", and say that, while I definitely agree philosophically with the article you mention, there needs to be room for the realities of living with and around non-paleo people. – Mama J May 14 2010 at 18:46
	My husband is not paleo, neither is his family, nor any of our friends. They are all understanding of my choice to eat the way I do, and the fact that I feed my kids a paleo diet because I truly feel that is the best thing for them. We don't partake in cake or any other "junk food" when others are, and my 3 year old understands that it isn't good for his body. Still, once a year, I make them a cake, for their birthday, and they feel every bit as special as their friends do; there is no refined sugar or oils, no flour, and all the other parents are amazed at how much their kids love it. – Mama J May 14 2010 at 18:52
	So are they candy cigarettes? I don't think so; I think it can be a way of opening peoples eyes to the notion that something doesn't have to be horrible for you to be a treat. – Mama J May 14 2010 at 18:53

What about grapeseed oil?

2 Answers