Healthy Cooking with Oils

Eating healthy involves cooking healthy food – which is where your cooking oil really takes center stage.

Everyone knows the foods to eat that improve health, although how we cook the food can be just as important.

With there being so many oils and butter products claiming to be the best, it can be quite difficult to know which ones to use and which ones to avoid.

1.  Canola oil

Canola oil is a popular oil, with many physicians claiming that it has the ability to lower the risk of heart disease.

The oil is low in saturated fat, high in monounsaturated fat, and offers the best fatty acid composition when compared to other oils.

You can use canola oil in sauteing, as a marinade and even in low temperature stir frying.

It has a bland flavor, which makes it a great oil for foods that contain many spices.  Unlike other oils, this one won’t interfere with the taste of your meal.

2.  Olive oil

Olive oil offers a very distinct flavor with plenty of heart healthy ingredients.  The oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, helps to lower cholesterol levels and reduce risk of cancer.  It’s also rich in antioxidants and has a very long storage life.

Even though it can be used in cooking, it’s the healthiest when uncooked, such as with a salad or dipping sauce.  When you use it with cooking, you should heat it on low to medium temperatures, making sure to avoid high heat.

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4. Coconut Oils

Coconut oil is full of flavor and has nutrients like vitamin E, K and iron that are retained at high temperatures. This is one of my favorite oils – for cooking, for spreading on toast and for hair and skincare! Purchase Organic Coconut Oil Here

5. Flax Seed Oils

Flax seed oil is full of essential omega-3 fatty acids. You can use it unheated in shakes, salad dressing, cereals or on toast.

6. Ghee

Ghee is a butter that is free of impurities and cholesterol. However, use sparingly if you are trying to lose weight. It is also very calming to the nervous system.

7. Grapeseed Oil

This oil maintains its healthy properties known to fight cancers and lower cholesterol at high temperatures.

8. Hemp Oil

Just like flax seed oil, hemp oil is full of the essential omega-3 fatty acids and should be used unheated. Purchase Organic Hemp Oil Here

9.  Butter

Butter is one food that has been around for many, many years.  Butter tastes good, and offers sources of Vitamin A and other fat soluble vitamins such as E, K, and even D.  Butter is also made from natural ingredients and not chemically or artificially processed.

You can use butter with cooking, baking, or even as a spread.  You can also pair it with creamy sauces, marinades, baked dishes, or even bread.

10.  Margarine

Margarine was first introduced as an alternative to high fat butter.  When it was first created however, it was loaded with trans fat, a substance that we now know raises bad cholesterol.

As a cooking oil, margarine tastes good, it’s lower in fat than most oils and butter, and it’s quite easy to spread.  It’s available in a variety of different products and a good source of vitamin E.

Know the smoke point

Because of their chemical makeup, some oils are better suited for lower-heat cooking than others.

This is important because heating oil above its smoke point — the temperature at which the oil begins to smoke — produces toxic fumes and harmful free radicals (the stuff we’re trying to prevent in the first place).

A good rule of thumb: The more refined the oil, the higher its smoke point.

High smoke point

Best suited for searing, browning and deep frying (although the latter is not a recommended practice where heart health is concerned).

Oil	% Mono	% Poly	% Sat	Nutrition Notes
Almond	65	28	7	Distinctive nutty flavor
Avocado	65	18	17	Sweet aroma
Hazelnut	82	11	7	Bold, strong flavor
Palm	38	10	52	High in saturated fat. Not recommended
Sunflower	79	7	14	Seek out high-oleic versions, which are higher in monounsaturated fat
“Light” olive/refined olive	78	8	14	The more refined the olive oil, the better its all-purpose cooking use. “Light” refers to color

Medium-high smoke point

Best suited for baking, oven cooking or stir frying.

Oil	% Mono	% Poly	% Sat	Nutrition Notes
Canola	62	31	7	Contains low levels of omega-3
Grapeseed	17	73	10	High in omega-6
Macadamia nut	84	3	13	Bold flavor
Extra virgin olive	78	8	14	Best-pick oil
Peanut	48	34	18	Great for stir frying

Medium smoke point

Best suited for light sautéing, sauces and low-heat baking.

Oil	% Mono	% Poly	% Sat	Nutrition Notes
Corn	25	62	13	High in omega-6. High-oleic (monounsaturated fat) versions coming soon
Hemp	15	75	10	Good source of omega-3. Keep refrigerated
Pumpkinseed	32	53	15	Contains omega-3
Sesame	41	44	15	Rich, nutty flavor. Keep refrigerated
Soybean	25	60	15	High in omega-6
Walnut	24	67	9	Good source of omega-3
Coconut	6	2	92	High in saturated fat. Not recommended

 No-heat oils*

Best used for dressings, dips or marinades.

Oil	% Mono	% Poly	% Sat	Nutrition Notes
Flaxseed	65	28	7	Excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid, a form of omega-3
Wheat Germ	65	18	17	Rich in omega-6. Keep refrigerated

*Toasted sesame, extra virgin olive and walnut oils also work well.

When it comes to cooking with oils, there are several at your disposal.  There are many more than what is mentioned here, although the ones above are the most popular.

Eating healthy involves cooking healthy food – which is where your cooking oil really takes center stage.

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