This may give you a little more insight about those treats and a simple way to make them more healthy.
All prepackaged cookie type things are going to be made with margarine or shortening and many people will likely use shortening with their baking.
Here is a little insight as to how margarine and shortening are made.
- They start with the cheapest seed oil available, either corn, safflower, cottonseed, soybean, or canola.Next they crank up the heat and pressure to extract the oil.
- To get every drop of oil, hexane solvent is used. very toxic
- Since the oils are rancid, now they get a steam cleaning. This ensures all the natural vitamins are destroyed.
- Now they are mixed with a nickel catalyst
- They are now put in a reactor and flooded with hydrogen gas. This turns the oil into a lumpy, grey, semi-solid. I’m sure you’re salivating now
- Emulsifiers are mixed in to remove the lumps.
- More steam cleaning, to remove the odors.
- It’s now bleached to get rid of the grey color
- Artificial vitamins and flavors are now mixed in.
- Except for margarine, legally it has to be a natural coloring.
- Now it is shoved into a tub and promoted as healthy.
Probably the best substitute for shortening is virgin coconut oil. It is the most heat stable oil. It has similar consistancy and is actually natural and really healthy for you.
If you’d like some recipes just add a comment below or send me a message via Facebook.
-Dr. Altman
(Special thanks to the Weston A. Price Foundation for the info)