At long last. Scientific proof that my appreciation for peanut butter butter is good for maintaining my weight.

According to a recent report from the Institute of Food Technologies, having a taste for fat is actually beneficial to your health. Contrary to previously held doctrine, fat is not a substance detected only by smell and texture; it can be tasted too. A collection of studies conducted in the past few years have indicated that there are genetic variations that impact our ability to detect the taste of fat. Furthermore, those who are more sensitive to the fat content in foods are better able to maintain their weight. The non-tasters, however, metabolize fat differently, crave fatty foods more often, and ultimately gain weight as a result.

In looking over my meals today, I’ve eaten plenty of healthy fats today: peanut butter, olive oil, cashews…BUT I think my level of fat consumption still falls under the “moderate” category. I suspect that I am a “fat taster” in that I am satisfied with small amounts and hence able to maintain a healthy weight.

Do you think you’re a fat-taster or non-taster? What are your favorite fat-rich foods?

Now let’s take a closer look at my eats, fat and all.

Over the past few years, I’ve developed quite a love for PB & Co. peanut butters, particularly the Cinnamon Raisin Swirl flavor. Sadly, despite searching at Whole Foods, the Teet, and Target, I cannot find the magical stuff. So today, I improvised my own version using plain ol’ PB, cinnamon, and a hint of stevia. It was pretty darn tasty, so I made it the star of my breakfast this morning.

Lunch today was a rare instance in which I enjoyed leftovers—the dish? Last night’s gazpacho. I added pea shoots on top, just for giggles.

Tonight I made a B-Hut fave, Cashew Ginger Tofu. Delicious as ever.

I’m anxiously awaiting snack time, as I made a pretty spectacular dessert, Ellie’s Plum Tart with Almond Pastry Crust.

My tweaks:

-I used apricots instead of plums. Apricots were on sale, plums were not—you do the math.

-By the same token, I used apricot preserves instead of raspberry.

I haven’t tried the final product yet, but in terms of preparation this tart was a tad more involved than I had anticipated. It involved blanching the fruit, peeling the fruit (which turned out to be quite a chore), mixing the crust, baking the crust alone, then baking the fruit and crust…not a quick and easy dish at all! I hope the flavor proves that all that work was well worth it…

Before I sign off, I want to direct your attention to the recipe posted earlier today—check it out if you’re looking for some breakfast inspiration!

OK, off to immerse myself in the drama of The Bachelorette.

Filed under: Meals