"Good" Fats Important to Your Diet

Omega-3 is one of the good fats. It may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, arthritis and autoimmune diseases. It's not as hard as you think to increase omega-3 fats in your diet. Diabetic Living magazine recommends adding these foods to your menus to increase your intake of omega-3 fats:

• Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fat. Eat as a snack; grind them up and use in baking to replace a portion of the flour in recipes; chop and use to top cereal, yogurt or ice cream; add to cookies, brownies or breads. I stir them into my morning oatmeal with a teaspoon of cinnamon, one-half cup of applesauce and a tablespoon of Splenda brown sugar blend. Yum!
• Cook with canola oil instead of vegetable oil. Make your own salad dressings with canola oil for a light, healthy salad. I add it to the Good Seasons packets or shake up my own dressings when I feel experimental. Just add oil, water, your choice of vinegar and spices and shake.
• Tofu is a wonderful source of omega-3 fat. Both Boca or Morningstar Farms sell tofu crumbles in bags. Look for them at your grocers in the same freezer section as the vegetarian burgers. The pre-cooked crumbles make it easy to add tofu to stir fries, soups, stews, chili or sloppy joes instead of using ground meat. I recently used the crumbles to make a fabulous chili that got 4-star reviews from my meat-loving dad and my daughter's vegan boyfriend. Check out the quick and easy recipe below.

4-Star Vegan Chili

1 onion, 1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons canola oil
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can mushroom stems & pieces, drained
1 can green chilies, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced stewed tomatoes
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I used Prego Garden Vegetable, but use your favorite)
1 bag tofu crumbles
Spices to taste: chili powder, cumin, cilantro, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt

In a large sauce pan, fry out onion, peppers and garlic in canola oil until soft. Add all other ingredients including tofu crumbles, stir to blend. Add spices to taste. I started with a teaspoon of chili powder and black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of everything else and went from there, stirring and tasting until I liked it. Simmer for 30 minutes to blend flavors. Serve with grated cheese or cheese substitute for garnish and thick grain bread. Don't be afraid to experiment with the ingredients. Add what you like and delete what you don't.