Why have I started adding a little vegetable oil to my recipes?

Recipes with no added refined sugar or fat. That’s what I’ve always said and always offered… until very recently, when I ventured to put a bit of oil in my recipes. What? Madame Labriski adding a touch of fat to one of her deliciously healthy recipes? But why?

I have nothing against fat. In fact, our body needs fat to function properly.

The reason I never added fat before is simply because I had this really strong and pressing desire to create recipes that were REALLY healthy. As we sometimes use extremes to get a message across, I went all out. I wanted wholesome and delicious snacks that were easy to digest and provided that high performance machine, our body, with quality, lasting energy. Over the years, I’ve also noticed that the lighter recipes with no added fat available on the market often contain larger amounts of sugar to make up for it in their texture. Shameful.

In actual fact, I’m proudly waging war on added refined sugar (because there’s too much of it in everything and it’s so easy to improve the taste of a recipe for store-bought products by adding sugar), not on vegetable oil. If I’ve started to add some oil to my recipes, it’s just a question of finding the desired texture… and balance.

It wasn’t an easy decision to make. At first, I really didn’t want to. It was a matter of principle to respect my concept of recipes with NO ADDED REFINED SUGAR or FAT. But then I did a test at home to see what the reaction of my little professional taste testers would be… Finally! Mommy has started making the crunchy kind of cookies instead of the soft ones. I then tried to improve the crumble mixture I use in one of my recipes and I realized that if I added a little bit of oil, everything would be perfect.

But I mulled it over for a long time. I’d worked so hard to develop the world of Madame Labriski.

After some consideration, I came to the conclusion that my real hobbyhorse was refined sugar, not good fats.

I told myself that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I added a little bit. It even allowed me to rethink and slightly refine my business strategy. And yes, Madame Labriski has become a business and, more importantly, a brand that is waging war on refined sugar. So, there you have it, I’m waging war on refined sugar, NOT on the healthy types of fat.

And what types of oil have I decided I can use?

Olive, canola, camelina and sunflower oil. Do I use coconut oil? No. Why? Because although coconut oil has grown in popularity in recent years, I sought the advice and confirmation from nutritionist Isabelle Morin and here’s what she told me:

Coconut oil is made up of just over 85% saturated fat. However, it is recommended that people reduce their daily intake of saturated fats because they have a negative impact on cardiovascular health when consumed in excessive quantities. Furthermore, it has been proven that regular consumption of coconut oil tends to raise levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). In contrast, oils such as olive and canola oil are composed primarily of monounsaturated fats (around 73% for olive oil and 63% for canola oil), and are therefore very low in saturated fats.

Monounsaturated fats are known for their favourable impact on cardiovascular health. In particular, they are strongly present in the Mediterranean diet, a diet that is recognized for its beneficial effects on health.

Fat is one of the essential nutrients for the body and there is nothing wrong with adding it to recipes. However, it is preferable to opt for high-quality fats and use them in moderation.

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So, I had my answer. Don’t be surprised if you see me starting to add a little bit of canola oil from time to time. I will only use it in small amounts and every time I do, it won’t be done gratuitously. In other words, I’ll have a good reason for adding a bit of oil and everyone will be happy.

Thank youski, Isabelle, for your invaluable collaboration.
(By the way, Isabelle is also an amazing athlete.)

Mériane AKA Madame

xxx