# Is Lard OK to use, again? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355 "2015-02-11T01:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/21 "2015-02-11T20:41:50Z")
> [@garxie](#): > > The press is terribly misreporting this story. Today’s headline on Google News is “Panel says cholesterol is not bad”. The headline, though it is accurate, is very misleading to the average person reading it. Many health scientists have known for decades that you can eat high cholesterol foods without it impacting your cholesterol levels. > What you can’t eat is a ton of fatty foods, especially foods high in saturated. Fats are what causes high cholesterol blood levels. And, statistically, a lifetime of a fatty diet greatly increases your chances of having a stroke or heart attack. > This isn’t really a big news story. It is just an announcement by the government that their guidelines were wrong. But you can eat fatty foods without high serum cholesterol. I eat a ton of fatty food, foods high in saturated fat. The only fats I use are olive oil, coconut oil, butter, and lard. 65% of my calories come from fat, and my cholesterol levels are great. What I don’t do is cram sugar and flour into my face thinking “Sugar can’t hurt me, it’s fat free”. High serum cholesterol is bad, but dietary cholesterol won’t give you high serum cholesterol, and saturated fats won’t do it either if you stay away from sugar. All sugar, not just refined sugar. Honey, agave, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, monosaccharides, disaccharides, glucose, sucrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, you name it, you don’t need it. A calorie ratio of 65% fat, 30% protein, 5% carbohydrates works best for me, but I’m a pretty active male with a high muscle mass, you’ve got to adjust your protein to fit that. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/22 "2015-02-11T21:07:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It is and always has been OK to use, in moderation. And even if saturated fats aren’t all that great for you, the only culinary substitute for them is trans fats, which we have now learned are even worse. If you want to make a pie crust, saturated fats are your best bet. > > As an aside, you don’t need to worry about trans fats any more, either. They were invented in the first place as a replacement for saturated fats, but now that we know how bad they are, everyone has taken the simple and obvious step of changing their recipes back to using saturated fats. So you pretty much can’t even find trans fats any more, even if you were looking for them. Not so. Look at the ingredients in some pies and similar food items. Many of them contain partially hydrogenated oil (of various kinds), which are trans fats. I’ve seen some ingredients listing “inverted sugars,” which is produced by a process splitting sucrose into its two components, glucose and fructose, thereby achieving a sweeter substance: [Inverted sugar syrup - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_sugar_syrup). I guess these are no worse than high fructose corn syrup, which is no worse than glucose. Remember also, a product can state it has 0% trans fats if it contains less than 0.5% trans fats, and no amount is acceptable, ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/23 "2015-02-11T22:43:00Z")
> [@](#): > > …and no amount is acceptable, This statement is absurd on the face of it. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/24 "2015-02-12T20:31:50Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > This statement is absurd on the face of it. What’s absurd about it? No amount of trans fats is safe. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/25 "2015-02-12T21:17:53Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > What’s absurd about it? No amount of trans fats is safe. A couple of things. One, I’m a firm believer that with the possible exception of ionizing radiation it’s the dose that makes the poison, that is, there is a safe dose of anything. The dose may be on the order of milligrams or micrograms, but there’s a safe dose of everything. Secondly, I think you mistyped when you said less than 0.5% could be labeled trans fat free, I think it’s less than 0.5 grams trans fat can state no trans fats. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/26 "2015-02-12T21:35:52Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > A couple of things. One, I’m a firm believer that with the possible exception of ionizing radiation it’s the dose that makes the poison, that is, there is a safe dose of anything. The dose may be on the order of milligrams or micrograms, but there’s a safe dose of everything. Secondly, I think you mistyped when you said less than 0.5% could be labeled trans fat free, I think it’s less than 0.5 grams trans fat can state no trans fats. You are right: less than 0.5 grams. The statement that no amount of trans fats is safe is a statement that I’ve seen on numerous health publications. [http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/fat/transfat.html](http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/fat/transfat.html) states to keep it as low as possible. As low as possible to me means none. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/27 "2015-02-12T23:51:37Z")
“No amount is safe”, even if true, does not mean “no amount is acceptable”. If it were genuinely true that no amount were acceptable, then we’d all be doomed, as it’s impossible to eliminate every single molecule of trans fat from our diets. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/28 "2015-02-13T03:05:16Z")
Cakes. Lard makes great cakes. It has to be a special kind of lard though, some kind of primo top of the line lard. I’m of the shortening generation, but I remember eating cakes made with lard from the kitchens of neighbor ladies. I inherited some 1940s cookbooks and all the recipes require lard for baked goods. I promised my aunt I’d try some, but I couldn’t find any lard. I guess I’ll be able to now. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/29 "2015-02-13T03:34:00Z")
> [@Marion\_Wormer](#): > > Cakes. Lard makes great cakes. It has to be a special kind of lard though, some kind of primo top of the line lard. Maybe leaf lard? That’s usually the best stuff. No problems every finding lard around here. First it was a Polish neighborhood, then it became a Mexican neighborhood–both cultures are quite fond of lard and there’s never been a shortage of freshly rendered lard, as well as that hydrogenated crap. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/30 "2015-02-13T03:41:54Z")
> [@Marion\_Wormer](#): > > I inherited some 1940s cookbooks and all the recipes require lard for baked goods. I promised my aunt I’d try some, but I couldn’t find any lard. I guess I’ll be able to now. [Amazon has everything.](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lard) And don’t worry, Big Pig hasn’t wasted their time in the Culinary Hall of Shame. They’ve been preparing for this day. You can buy [organic lard](http://www.amazon.com/Tendergrass-Farms-Organic-Lard-Pack/dp/B00LOMONCO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423797740&sr=8-1&keywords=lard). You can buy [free range lard](http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Pork-Range-Pasture-Raised/dp/B00NJYM12O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1423797740&sr=8-3&keywords=lard). But,alas, I couldn’t find anything explicitly labeled “gluten-free lard.” ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/31 "2015-02-13T03:44:18Z")
Try Lard Light! Now only 99% of the calories of regular lard! ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/32 "2015-02-13T03:50:17Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > BTW–What does one use it for? It’s used in most of the Mexican food my family regularly makes and eats. My grandmother lived to be 97 on a steady diet of foods cooked mainly in lard (carnitas, refried beans, masa for things like tamales, chicharrones…just all sorts of good stuff, IMHO any) …and she died when someone broke into her house, not from the bad health effects. So, at least from my own and my families perspective it was never off the menu. Good to know it’s ok for us to use it now, though. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/33 "2015-02-13T17:47:35Z")
Mmmmm…chicharrones. I wish I could find those in my area. ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/34 "2015-02-14T06:25:43Z")
[Lard](http://youtu.be/LxhF7iBueeE) ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/35 "2015-02-14T18:25:34Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > BTW–What does one use it for? Making yummy stuff! > [@Chronos](#): > > “No amount is safe”, even if true, does not mean “no amount is acceptable”. If it were genuinely true that no amount were acceptable, then we’d all be doomed, as it’s impossible to eliminate every single molecule of trans fat from our diets. Right. First, impossible and unmeasurable targets are useless from a practical standpoint. Furthermore, they make the perfect the enemy of the good. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355/36 "2015-02-14T20:14:09Z")
[Issued by the Lard Information Council.](https://grahamcreative.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/theyre-happy-because-they-eat-lard1.jpg) ((and, regardless of watermark, originally from Viz magazine)) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lard-ok-to-use-again/712355.md?page=1)