It's easy to forget that undesirable amounts of "fat grams" come not only from vegetable oils. To wit: last night I was comparing nutritional stats on tofu versus tempeh from my 'frig when I was struck by the fat content of tempeh (of course, I knew about some tofus being relatively high in fat). 24 grams of fat per block, and as such, I increased the amount of vegetables in my stir-fry and used only a third of a block of tempeh (my lunch was salad/veggies no-fat dressing, breakfast: mixed fresh fruit, homemade bread as toast and homemade apple butter).
Later in the evening, I noticed a favorite blogger referencing another favorite blogger's "mini-tempeh loaves" recipe, the original chef nothing that it was about enough for "3 starving kids."
Intrigued, I did the math on just the fatty stuff in the recipe:
28 grams of fat: 2 TBL of oil
So, that's 76 grams of fat, or around 25 grams of fat per "starving kid." That's over 1 to near 2x the fat recommended by Drs. Ornish, Esselstyn, Barnard, and McDougall, PER DAY in just ONE ENTREE for ONE MEAL. The "happy" vegan who made this recipe also made a tofu cornbread as a side (clearly having fat in it from the tofu). Oh, and 25 grams of fat is "half" a Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast...
Anyway, others using this mini-loaf recipe might consider making it heart-healthy by subbing some wheat gluten and rice and/or lentils for one of those blocks of tempeh. Amazing how many similar recipes to "mini-loaves" have been referred to as "healthy" by their giddy authors.
...and amazing, too, is that some people wonder why there are fat vegans or how vegans can still get heart attacks like carnivores. Too much fat is too much fat, whether it comes from oil, tempeh, or a dead animal's flesh. They all can contribute to plaque formation in your blood vessels and a host of other degenerative issues.
I see tempeh's ingredient list as just soybeans and water. So why is it so high in fat?
['cause of the inherent fat content of soybeans... BUT, this isn't added oil, so consume in moderation. Not a heart disease issue (unless you're really overdoing the daily fat grams total in general).
Posted by: Mike Leannah | 2013.07.07 at 14:34
I feel really bad for you! I love reading this blog though.
[Don't! I've reduced my chances of getting heart disease to as close to "zero" as you can. I no longer am addicted to craving fat or oil. It's wonderful! I lost weight, gained energy, and reduce the odds of getting several disorders most people get as they get older.
I feel sorry for you! At your age, you have the opportunity to do even better with your later years, if you'd open your mind to the possibility that added oil does cause problems, isn't nature (isn't even a whole food), and that the research done by Esselstyn, Ornish, and others, nails it.
We have a the knowledge and means to avoid the biggest killer of men and women in this country, and although going vegan decreases the odds a little that you'll get heart disease, it is still high for those people using added fat/oil.
I believe people who are creative enough to do unique recipes, as you are, especially vegan, have a higher responsibility than just feed the fat, sugar, and salt addictions too many people still have (vegan or not).
Think about it some time.
Best regards, Mark]
Posted by: Jay | 2009.02.20 at 16:31