Different Options for Cooking Oils

Different Options for Cooking Oils

Many people choose to cook with oil because it can add flavor to their food, as well as work as a nonstick substance. However, there are a number of things to consider when choosing the best cooking oil for whatever food you are making. Additionally, some oils have better health benefits than others.

Trans fats and saturated fats are two components in oil that have been proved to be very unhealthy. Trans fats lower your good cholesterol and raise your bad cholesterol. Saturated fats raise the total cholesterol level, including the bad LDL cholesterol. This is why many restaurants are banning trans fats from their menus by changing their cooking oils.

Typically, animal-based oils have higher amounts of trans and saturated fat than plant oils. Thus, a good rule of thumb is to avoid animal-derived products. However, this is not always true. It is a good idea to know oils that are healthy and unhealthy.

Good Cooking Oils

Oils can also contain healthy fats, called polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. They are the opposite of trans and saturated fats in that they raise good HDL cholesterol. If you are looking for healthy cooking, you should consider the following oils:

• Canola
• Flax seed
• Peanut
• Olive
• Safflower
• Sunflower
• Corn

Oils to Cut Out

If you are struggling with your bad cholesterol levels or if you are just looking to cook more healthily, you should cut out the following oils from your diet:

• Vegetable shortening
• Hard margarine
• Butter
• Palm
• Palm kernel
• Coconut

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Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be challenging. For more information on healthy eating techniques, as well as exercise and other health-related topics, check out the Health Directory today.