Four Things I Learned Sampling Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not always conscious when it comes to feeding my family. I grew up in Trinidad, in a small country town with lots of dirt roads. My father had a huge garden with an endless supply of fruits and vegetables. There were certain things we never shopped for in stores because we grew them ourselves. It’s a luxury I wish I had for my own family. Recently I was given the opportunity to sample Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil and it encouraged me to learn more about the foods I’m feeding my family.

Photo Credit: Moms Meet

Disclosure: “I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.”

I’d never heard of Palm Oil until I was asked about sampling the kit from Moms Meet, but I jumped at the opportunity to learn more about a product that is supposed to be better for my family and the environment.

My kit arrived filled with all kinds of information about Malaysian Palm Oil, I couldn’t wait to dive in the learn more about this new product. I started with the quick guide to learn where the oil came from and how it could benefit my family.

Palm Oil Comes From A Fruit

Did you know the oil comes from a fruit? Typically grown in tropical climates around the world, these oil-rich fruits can be found from a special species of palm trees. The process of producing palm oil is very similar to that of olive oil, it’s released when the fruits are squeezed. Malaysian workers handpick massive bunches of fruit from the palm trees, one bunch may contain as much as 3000 fruits.

Malaysia produces most of the palm oil used in products in the United States today. I learned that Malaysia was the first country to produce sustainable oil, and they are committed to our planet and keeping their production efforts sustainable. It’s estimated by the end of 2019 all the palm oil produced in Malaysia will be 100% certified sustainable. That means I don’t have to feel guilty when I see palm oil on the ingredients list on my favorite foods.

It’s Nutrients Rich

I couldn’t believe it at first but palm oil is rich in nutrients. The fruit is loaded with vitamin E tocotrienols, the red palm fruit oil has more carotene than tomatoes and carrots. Palm oil offers a unique blend of unsaturated and saturated fat. All palm oil is non-GMO unlike most of the other vegetable oil used in the United States since 90 percent of corn, soy, and canola seeds planted are genetically modified.

An additional benefit of using palm oil is saying goodbye to trans fat. Instead of using partially hydrogenated oils that are loaded with trans fat, palm oil is a much better alternative. Big brands like Kellog’s, General Mills, and Nestle are already using palm oil in their products as an alternative to PHOs.

Less Gives More

I was shocked to learn that one acre of palm oil plantation produces eleven times more oil than on acre of soybean fields. Can you imagine how beneficial that it is for our plant that we can get more oil by using less land? This special species of palm trees provide an environment where native animals can thrive. It’s very important to me and in producing this oil, our natural environment is not being harmed and animals in that region of the world are safe.

The Malaysian palm industry has also helped their country reduce unemployment and poverty, over five-hundred thousand people are employed by the Malaysian palm oil industry. Almost a half of the lands are tended by family farmers. That makes me proud of supporting family owned businesses.

It’s Perfect for Cooking

Palm Oil is perfect for high heat cooking, even better than olive oil. It can stand high heat without breaking down into harmful chemicals up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to olive oil 380 degrees Fahrenheit, coconut oil at 347 degrees Fahrenheit, and canola oil at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

My kit included a cookbook filled with recipes perfect for palm oil. I can’t wait to dive into some of the recipes in the book to create delicious meals for my family. I’ve been using the oil in some of my favorite dishes and it’s been great. I did have to get used to the orange/redish color of the oil and how it may affect the color of my food but everything I made with it was delicious. One of the recipe cards they sent us included a recipe for chicken nuggets that I just have to try. I’ve included it below for you to try.

Better-For-You Chicken Nuggets – Recipe Source: PalmOilHealth.Org

Ingredients

12 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
Malaysian palm oil, (for pan frying)

Directions

You will need 3 bowls of equal size. Fill one with flour, add eggs to second bowl and in the third bowl mix panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.
Toss the chicken tenderloin with flour until completely coated, shake off excess, then dip in egg on both sides and cover with panko, using your fingers to make sure every part of chicken is covered.
Set aside and repeat with each piece of chicken until all are coated.
Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add Malaysian palm oil. For even cooking, add enough palm oil to come half way up each piece of chicken.
Preheat oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pan fry breaded chicken for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. *chicken will be raw in the middle*
Transfer chicken to parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake the tenders for 20-25 minutes, or until done.
Alternately, put on sheet pan with Baked Sweet Potato Fries for the last 10 minutes of their cooking at their set temperature, 450° F.

To learn more about the benefits of palm oil and to find additional delicious recipes, visit palmoilhealth.org. You can also visit them on Facebook and Twitter for updates. Next time your shopping check out the labels on your favorite products to see if you’re already enjoying palm oil.

Nickida

Nickida - is a wife and stay at home mother of four. She was born in Trinidad but moved to the US at age 14. She started blogging on an off for about three years and recently started writing more consistently. She enjoys sharing about her children, marriage, books, recipes, movies, reviews, giveaways and much more. She is working on improving her baking skills and building on her cake decorating business.