Good Fats for Baby Brains
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. Although the thoughts and sentiments contained in the post are my own, I received complementary product and financial compensation from the sponsor of the post, Chosen Foods. This post may also contain affiliate links that help me offset the cost of operating this blog.
Fat is making a major comeback!
Gone are the days {thankfully!} of low-fat and fat-free foods weighing down our grocery store shelves.
Researchers have found - and nutrition guidelines are starting to reflect - that it's the TYPE of fat, not so much the AMOUNT of fat, that really matters.
So, quit thinking about cutting back on fat - but instead shift your focus to getting more good fats...especially when it comes to feeding babies and small children.
What's so Fine About Fat?
Fat is an important source of calories for babies and little kids. That's because fat packs more than twice the amount of energy (calories) per gram than protein or carbohydrate do. So if we're talking about trying to make most bites matter, fat goes a long way to help provide our kids with calories.
Fat also plays an important role in brain development. Because of the still developing brain situation, children age 1-3 and 4-18 need a greater percentage of fat from calories (30-40% and 25-35% respectively) than do adults (20-35%).
What are the "Good Fats"?
When you're selecting fats for your family, it's a good idea to focus on the better-for-you unsaturated fats than the less healthy saturated ones.
Some examples of mostly unsaturated fat choices include:
Olive oil
Canola oil
Peanut oil
Avocado oil
You probably recognize the first 3, but you may not know a ton about avocado oil (yet :)
All About Avocado Oil
So here's the scoop on avocado oil, straight from a mom of 5 small kids and a dietitian!
Lately, I've become a big fan of avocado oil for my family for 3 main reasons:
The taste is mild and pleasant and works for tons of cooking applications
The fatty acid profile is almost primarily unsaturated, so it's a heart-healthy fat
It has a high smoke point that makes it great for frying
I was introduced to Chosen Foods avocado oil through some nutrition media work I have been doing. I love that they're a local San Diego company and that so many of their products feature avocado oil - which up until now has been pretty hard to find a high quality version of.
We go through tons of the Chosen Foods avocado oil and their avocado oil mayo here at home. I usually pick up the avocado oil at Costco (they're nationwide) and some of the more specialty flavored avocado oil mayos, I like to order online from the Chosen Foods site.
If you're interested in trying out avocado oil for your crew at home, here's a Zucchini Fritter with Avocado Oil Aioli Dipping Sauce recipe you're definitely going to want to check out!
This zucchini fritter recipe works awesome if you're doing baby-led weaning, or if you have toddlers or bigger kids who might be getting a little bit bored of plain old boiled vegetables!
Zucchini Fritter with Avocado Oil Aioli Dipping Sauce Recipe
Here's a super easy zucchini fritter recipes that incorporates avocado oil in two ways: you fry the fritters in avocado oil and the aioli dipping sauce uses Chosen Foods' avocado oil mayonnaise.
My 3-year old Molly is particularly into "helping" in the kitchen these days - and was able to make most of this recipe on her own (sans frying) - but her quadruplet siblings got in on the action too. Hope you enjoy!
Fritter Ingredients
2 medium zucchini, shredded or spiralized
1/4 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
3/4 cup graded Parmesan cheese
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
Chosen Foods Avocado Oil for frying
Avocado Oil Aioli Dipping Sauce Ingredients
1 cup Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayo
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Instructions
Drain shredded or spiralized zucchini of as much water as possible. You can use paper towels and press...or I always love an opportunity to use the salad spinner!
2. Cut long strands of zucchini into smaller pieces if needed. Add flour, egg, cheese, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
3. Now get your stove ready to fry these fritters. (This is the parents' part :) Heat the Chosen Foods Avocado Oil until oil is shimmering. Spoon fritter batter into hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Once I have the oil temperature under control, I let my kids help flip the fritters, but always with supervision.
4. The last step is to make the Avocado Oil Aioli Dipping Sauce. Combine the mayo, garlic, lemon juice and salt and stir to combine.
I like to cool the zucchini fritters on a plate lined with paper towels. And then let everyone dig in!
Don't forget you can get Chosen Foods products from their site.
Thank you to Chosen Foods for sponsoring this blog post. To learn more about avocado oil and Chosen Foods' avocado oil products, please visit their site at www.chosenfoods.com.
