Why lard is bad

But before you reach for butter or coconut oil on your next grocery run, here's why you might want to consider the misunderstood old-school fat instead. Lard is rendered pig fat that's most commonly used in pastry crusts. While it won't make your baked goods taste like smoky bacon, people swear by the delicate, neutral flavor it adds to things like biscuits and pie crust.

Lard used to be just as popular as—if not more than—butter. But until recently, it's been generally looked down upon, and without a truly good reason. The smear campaign is similar to the recent battle between corporate sugar and fat proponents. In the early s, vegetable shortening came onto the scene and the big brands tried to oust lard from its throne with aggressive marketing campaigns.

Now, much like tie-dye and fanny packs, lard is making a comeback. While it isn't vegetarian or vegan, lard is dairy free , something that butter can't say for itself looking at you, paleo -followers. And compared to other fats especially butter , lard is considered one of the healthier options of the group. Updated February 28, pm. Smaller font Descrease article font size - A. Share this item on Facebook facebook Share this item via WhatsApp whatsapp Share this item on Twitter twitter Send this page to someone via email email Share this item on Pinterest pinterest Share this item on LinkedIn linkedin Share this item on Reddit reddit Copy article link Copy link.

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Sponsored content. Flyers More weekly flyers. This paved the way for increased marketing by margarine and vegetable oil companies to push their products as a better fat via AOCS. Then, as America's "War on Fat" as Time Magazine puts it waged on throughout the second half of the 20th century, there was even more urgency to market animal fat alternatives as more heart healthy. The New York Times reported that during this time "an entire industry emerged to create fat substitutes.

Of course, all of this was turned on its head amid new scientific breakthroughs around the turn of the 21st century, which would inevitably lead to a whole new set of healthy eating trends via Vogue.

While lard consumption may not carry the same health risks it was once thought to, there are still major health concerns that remain when it comes to pork in general, for both people and the animal.

For one, there is still a body of evidence that suggests links between pork consumption and a range of chronic health conditions, including diabetes and cancer via ZME Science. And in more recent decades, research has shown an increasing percentage of food borne illnesses linked to pork via Healthline. Other concerns causing many to turn away from pork include the ethical abuses associated with industrial pig farming and the environmental costs of mass pork production.

Nowadays, it's easy to see why lard is such an overlooked or outcast fat. Just roam your local grocery store. There is a whole range of fats and oils to choose from on the shelves, from mainstays like butter, margarine, and olive oil to a variety of nut and seed oils that get the job done.

Thanks to our crazed rebellion against all things fat in the latter half of the 20th century, America has seen an explosion in supposedly healthier fat alternatives via PhillyMag.

Today, the American Heart Association recommends using the following common cooking oils , which they say are better for your health in alphabetical order, not any sort of ranking : canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower. As with many come-and-go trends in our diet and food culture, lard is starting to have a full circle moment. The San Francisco Chronicle explained in that "cooks seeking flavor, farmers advocating a return to more sustainable ways of raising animals and science's shifting thinking on dietary health are all helping to rehabilitate" lard's reputation and place in our food culture.

There is no denying lard has started making a comeback in our kitchens, thanks in part to renewed attention from chefs and foodies. It also helps that newer research has shown that lard may actually be better for your health than butter, containing more good fats and less bad fats than the dairy standard we so often turn to via The Independent.

It's apparently the secret ingredient your gumbo is missing, as well was your biscuits , and it has a magical ability to create light and flaky pie crusts. And if you are interested in giving this old-school ingredient a try, there is no shortage of lard recipes all over the internet to lend some inspiration. Concerns about lard started with issues in the meatpacking industry Library of Congress.

Crisco stole the show from lard Instagram. The price of lard in the early 20th century didn't help things Shutterstock. Then there were health concerns surrounding lard Shutterstock.