In the Spirit of the Holidays, Healthy Fats Coalition Celebrates Dec. 8 as First-Ever #NationalLardDay

Under the auspices of the Healthy Fats Coalition (www.healthyfatscoalition.org – HFC) and ideally timed for the holidays, Dec. 8 marks the first annual #NationalLardDay, a celebration of pure lard, a traditional, authentic animal fat that is now enjoying a resurgence within America’s food culture, in restaurants, fast food operations and home kitchens.

#NationalLardDay is the brainchild of the HFC, a group of like-minded organizations, companies and individuals that have developed an educational initiative dedicated to the proposition that healthy fats aren’t merely having a moment – they’re here to stay, as an essential part of the American diet.  The HFC’s mission is simple: affirm that animal fats deserve a central place in kitchen, on the table and in the popular imagination.

For the HFC, #NationalLardDay caps a year of “healthy fats” appreciation, which kicked off with #NationalHealthyFatsDay on March 21.  The Coalition also promotes #NationalBeefTallowDay, July 13 (which coincides with National French Fry Day). The HFC’s message for each day: mark the occasion by tasting the difference yourself.  #NationalLardDay occurs just ahead of National Pastry Day, Dec. 9.

“Fat is the soul of flavor,” wrote Nina Teicholz in her groundbreaking book, Big Fat Surprise (Simon & Schuster, 2014).  “Food is tasteless and cooking nearly impossible without fat.  Fat is essential in the kitchen to produce crispness and to thicken sauces. It is crucial in conveying flavors.  It makes baked goods flaky, moist, and light. And fat has many other essential functions in cooking and baking.”

“Artificial trans fats are out, and minimally processed animal fats like lard — for superior baking, frying and a host of other cooking applications– are back,” said Eric R. Gustafson, CEO of Coast Packing Company, a founding member of the HFC.  “The color, texture and flavor that lard imparts make it a vastly superior alternative to heavily processed, industrially produced substitutes.  Lard is traditional, authentic and impossible to duplicate.  On #NationalLardDay, taste the difference yourself!”

“I am firmly in the lard camp,” popular Food Network icon Alton Brown has proclaimed.  “When you’re working with it… lard is going to stay more solid, which is great for flakiness.”

For more information on #NationalLardDay, email info@healthyfatscoalition.org.

About Healthy Fats Coalition

The Healthy Fats Coalition (www.healthyfatscoalition.org) is an educational initiative comprised of those who understand that healthy fats are an essential part of the American diet. The HFC’s mission to create an enlightened conversation about the food we eat, though news and editorial commentary, social media conversations, opinion surveys and more. Who supports the Healthy Fats Coalition? Visit https://www.healthyfatscoalition.org/supporters/. For more information, please email info@healthyfatscoalition.org.