Fat isn’t always the evil man in your diet. Perhaps some organs, such as the heart, use fat mainly for strength, as well as nutrients such as omega-three and omega-six fatty acids that you can get only by eating fat. And we’re not the only person stating this fact; it was revealed by Qi Sun (Harvard’s associate professor in the department of nutrition). However, you still have to choose the right fat. That’s why we’ve prepared a healthy cooking oil chart in order to clarify all your confusion. Sounds exciting, right?
It’s obviously good for your heart and mind to swap bad fats with healthier ones. Particularly, you can choose healthier vegetable oils to cook and prepare food, as well as to make them healthier. Healthy oils are essential in every diet and work like sorcerers to keep our heart healthy. Frankly, there’re varieties of healthy cooking oil, but which are the right ones providing all the necessary health and nutrition advantages? Are you confused? Nah! You shouldn’t be. Come with us, let’s take you to the healthy cooking oil chart and find out what’s best for you.
Healthy Cooking Oil Chart
Avocado Oil
Canola
Olive
Safflower
Coconut oil
Sunflower
Corn
Peanut
Avocado Oil
Taste
While the majority of the oils are originated from seed, avocado oil comes from the fresh avocado flesh. If you’re looking for something that can enhance the taste, this oil is especially for you. It has a mild, nutty, and buttery flavor.
Nutrition
Avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fat and is low in saturated fat. And monounsaturated fat is surely a heart-healthy content.
Smoke Point
Avocado oil comes with a high smoke point, and this is why you can use this oil for accomplishing various cooking methods. However, if you find the rich flavor of avocado oil is suitable for you, then it’ll be a great option for regular use.
Canola Oil
Taste
If you’re looking for something similar to vegetable oil, then canola oil will be perfect for you. This oil is produced from canola seed to preserve the neutral flavor. You can try it in your dishes to add some rich flavor and stand out amongst others.
Nutrition
Canola oil is highly recommended as heart-healthy oil. The monounsaturated fats and omega 3s are great to maintain the healthiness across your heart, and fortunately, canola oil blends these two essential elements in it. Besides, it’s directly linked to Alzheimer’s disease. You might have heard that, aren’t you?
Others
Canola oil is good for medium to high heat cooking. This is why it’s perfect for all sorts of cooking. So, cook, bake, boil, fry, or sautéing with this oil. Besides, the greater part of canola oil is extracted from GMO plants. Use conventional or non-GMO certified oils if you got any doubt on its reliability.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Taste
Most of the people prefer olive oil instead to make their food tastier. It’s because of the nutty, buttery, and fruity flavor of this oil. Some oils are slightly bitter or have a smooth peppery bite. And with a bottle of Extra Virgin oil, you will definitely get the boldest taste.
Nutrition
It looks like every oil has the Monounsaturated fat. But this particular oil can provide you something more. If you consume extra-virgin oil, your body will get fueled by antioxidants and polyphenols to protect you against cell damage. Don’t worry; you’ll get monounsaturated fat too.
Guy Crosby (a certified food scientist of Harvard) says, “It is also the only vegetable oil that includes an oleocanthal compound, which is a potent antiviral.” In a 2014 survey, over 7,000 men and women showed a significant reduction in cardiovascular disease. The researcher found that they lowered their disease by 10 percent only by consuming a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.
Usefulness
Extra-virgin oil is a bit pricey, but you won’t have to sell your house for that. You’ve to consider its taste and nutritious factors. Besides, extra-virgin olive oil is great for salad, grain, and plates of pasta.
Safflower Oil
Taste
You can have a moderate, earthy aroma from the unrefined oils, and they’re of dark and yellow-orange colors. Generally, refined oils can provide you with a more neutral taste, and they’re also pale. Therefore, choose as required.
Nutrition
Generally, safflower oils are available in two different forms, and these are oleic and linoleic. Let’s find out the difference. High oleic keeps its name for being high in monounsaturated fats, whereas polyunsaturated fats are predominantly in linoleic.
Usefulness
Its pleasant taste combines with a high smoking point and makes it ideal for versatile cooking. That’s why it’s suitable for baking, deep-frying, sautéing, and much more.
Coconut Oil
Taste
In fact, coconut oil will only taste the coconut, but its sweet and mild flavor can your dishes more delicious. Coconut oil is produced from the flesh of the coconut.
Nutrition
You may have heard coconut oil isn’t a healthy choice, aren’t you? Well, it’s because the amount of saturated fat in this oil is more than others. Even the quantity is greater than beef and butter. But do you know this high amount of saturated fat has some health benefits? Yes, it’s known as Lauric Acid, which is a better component with saturated fat than other oils.
Others
The smoke point of coconut oil is relatively higher than other oils. But such smoke point is only available in the refined versions. That’s why they’re perfect for all sorts of Asian recipes as well as frying or making curries.
Nutritional Components of Different Oils
We’re now placing a chart from the United States Department of Agriculture. It measures the nutritional benefit of 1 tablespoon or 15 milliliters of some healthiest oils.
Let’s identify some good and bad fats from this healthy cooking oil chart to make things more clear.
Bad Fats
Saturated Fats
Saturated fats should provide fewer than Seven percent of your total fat calories daily. This fat is usually found in dairy items like milk, cheese, etc. So it’ll be better if you can reduce it to two percent. It can be done by avoiding dairy items, including meats or other animal proteins. This can be achieved by reducing the amount of time you eat them, the number of meals you consume, or doing both of them. Remember that it can have a tremendous impact on your heart by taking a lot of saturated fats.
Trans Fats
This fat is also not considered as heart-healthy. Well, Trans fats from your diet can be eliminated by keeping away from food containing partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils. It’s not that hard; just read the list of your product’s ingredients.
Good Fats
Monounsaturated Fats
Several types of research have proved that monounsaturated fats contain a significant number of health benefits. So, you can consume this fat as much as you can.
Polyunsaturated Fats
The polyunsaturated fat is usually found are nuts, beans, seeds, and oysters. You’ll have enough omega-6 in your diet if you can achieve the monounsaturated fats, so focus on omega-3 in your meals.
Final Words
If you’re conscious about your heart and struggling to find healthier oils, you can choose one from our healthy cooking oil chart. All of the above oils are proven to have heart-healthy facts, so choose one based on the taste you prefer and make your dishes more delicious with sufficient healthy factors.