Cooking Oils: Best vs. Worst

Once you've made the commitment to healthier eating, cooking more of your meals at home and paying attention to healthy cooking methods becomes important. After all, event he most nutritious meal can be sabotaged if you fry it or douse it in trans-fat-laden oil.

The type of oil you choose to cook with can also add or detract from the nutritional value of your meal. Here is a list of the most popular cooking oils and a break down of which ones are great, or not so great, for cooking.

Vegetable Oils: Included in this category are soybean oil, canola oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, and others. Although these polyunsaturated fats are typically described as heart healthy (ex. they may help to reduce cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease) they are often highly processed and are quite perishable.

What does this mean? When you use them to cook, the fats easily become rancid, which may contribute to oxidative stress and damaging free radicals to your body. In general, any highly processed vegetable oil is NOT the best choice for a healthy diet.

Sesame Oil: Sesame oil is composed of primarily heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Sesame oil is also rich in antioxidants and very stable, meaning you can heat it to a relatively high temperature without damaging the oil.

Olive Oil: While rich in monounsaturated fats, which have been found to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and increase HDL (good) cholesterol, the oil is very perishable. It is, therefore, ideal for oil for salads, cold dishes and dipping bread, but not for cooking.

Coconut Oil: Yes, coconut oil is a saturated fat, but don't let this stop you from using it! This incredibly stable oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of saturated fat that is actually great for your immune system, intestinal health and may even help to support weight management. Because coconut oil is highly stable, it is wonderful for cooking - both sauteing and baking!

Avocado Oil: I know it doesn't sound appetizing, but avocado oil is both a healthy choice and tasty. It is rich in monounsaturated fats, but is relatively heat-stable. Like olive oil, it is best used on salads, as it has been found to increase your absorption of nutrients such as beta-carotene and lutein.

Summing it All Up:

Cooking oils are not created equal. You'll find a wide variety of quality and prices at your grocery store so choose carefully. Oils can be extremely fragile, so look for oils with the following qualities for cooking:

• Minimal, gentle processing: Highly processed oils can become damaged before you even open the bottle. Look for expeller-pressed or cold-pressed oils to be sure you're getting high-quality, undamaged oil.
• Minimal refining: Refined oils have been stripped of their flavor, color and nutrients. Although they have a place if you'll be using them for high-temperature cooking (as they're processed to be made more stable), for other uses (particularly when flavor and nutrition are important) seek out unrefined oils.
• Store in a dark, glass bottle: Oil can become damaged by heat and light, which is why you'll find high-quality oils stored in dark-tinted bottles. It is also possible that the oil could leach potentially dangerous chemicals from a plastic storage bottle, which is why you should, ideally, seek out those stored in glass bottles.