You have many options when it comes to selecting fats and oils for healthy eating and cooking.
But it's not just a matter of choosing oils that are healthy, but also whether they stay healthy after being heated and used in your cooking.
COOKING WITH OIL
It's important to know your oils when cooking because each oil responds differently to high heat and there are some oils best when not heated at all.
When cooking, you will want too choice oils that have less chances of oxidizing and changing their structure under high heat.
Oxidation is any chemical reaction that involves the moving of electrons according to Wikipedia. When the chemicals in oil undergo oxidation, they react with oxygen to form free radicals and harmful compounds that you definitely don't want in your body.
The most important factor in determining an oil's resistance to becoming oxidized and unpleasant tasting, both at high and low heat, is the percentage of saturated fatty acids in the oil.
OILS TO AVOID
Avoid processed vegetable oils such as canola, soy, corn.
These types of oils contain high amounts of Omega-6 without the balancing effects of Omega-3. Not having the balance of Omega-6 and Omega-3 have been shown to depress the immune system over time.
In addition, many of these oils contain harmful free radicals due to the high heat and pressure of the refining process.
Margarine is another one that you want to avoid, contains many substances harmful to the body, including trans-fatty acids formed during hydrogenation.
HEALTHY OILS
Good, healthy fats can maintain structure and produce energy, healthy immune and hormonal systems.
Here's a list of oils and where they are best in food preparation.
Coconut oil. High heat cooking, baking and raw.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. light sautéing, salad dressing, over vegetables.
Grass-fed cattle Butter. (replaces margarine) light sautéing, baking, over vegetables.
Ghee or Clarified Butter. Baking, stir frying, dipping sauces.
Palm Oil. (replaces shortening) baking
Avocado Oil. salads dressing, dipping sauces.
Grape seed oil. salad dressing or in baked goods.
Safflower and Sunflower Oils. use in balance with omega 3, high oleic types can withstand some low heating.
Flaxseed Oil. (never heat) to add dips balance of omega 3 in salad dressing, spread, in smoothies.
HOW TO BUY & STORE HEALTHY OILS
Any clear container where you can see the oil should be avoided. The container must be shielded for light, as light can damage healthy oils.
There should be an expiration date on the container. Nutrients have a shelf life. If there are no nutrients in the oil, they can stay on the shelf forever.
There should be no high temperatures processing or hydrogenation of the oil, as these processes destroy the valuable nutrients and create toxins. Look for expeller or cold pressed oils found mostly at health food stores.
If the oil you are buying is in a clear container, you can have bottles to transfer the oil and store the rest in a dark location.
COCONUT OIL
When it comes to high heat cooking, coconut oil is your best choice. Over 90% of the fatty acids in it are saturated, which makes it very resistant to heat.
This oil is semi-solid at room temperature and it can last for months and years without going rancid.
Coconut oil also has powerful health benefits. It is particularly rich in a fatty acid called Lauric Acid, which can improve cholesterol and help kill bacteria and other pathogens.
The fats in coconut oil can also boost metabolism slightly and increase feelings of fullness compared to other fats.
OLIVE OIL
A lot of people have been choosing Olive Oil as their new go to oil and are now using it for all their cooking.
While it's a good healthy choice, Unrefined Extra Virgin Olive Oil is not a good option for high heat cooking.
Unrefined olive oil (extra virgin) is best used for light cooking or in salad dressing and spreads.
Olive oil is very high in oleic acid, the most common form of monounsaturated fat.
Olive oil is well known for its heart-healthy effects and is believed to be a key reason for the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.
Some studies show that olive oil can improve biomarkers of health. It can raise HDL (the good) cholesterol and lower the amount of oxidized LDL cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream.
Studies on olive oil show that despite having fatty acids with double bonds, you can still use it for cooking as it is fairly resistant to the heat.
Make sure to choose quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It has much more nutrients and antioxidants than the refined type. Plus it tastes much better.
Keep your olive oil in a cool, dry, dark place, to prevent it from going rancid.
PALM OIL
Palm oil is derived from the fruit of oil palms.
It consists mostly of saturated and monounsaturated fats, with small amounts of polyunsaturates.
This makes palm oil a good choice for cooking.
Red Palm Oil (the unrefined variety) is best. It is also rich in Vitamins E, Coenzyme Q10 and other nutrients.
AVOCADO OIL
The composition of Avocado Oil is similar to olive oil. It is primarily monounsaturated, with some saturated and polyunsaturated mixed in.
It can be used for many of the same purposes as olive oil. You can cook with it, or use it cold.
FLAX OIL
Flax Oil contains lots of the plant form of Omega-3, Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA).
Many people use this oil to supplement with Omega-3 fats.
However, unless you're vegan, then I do recommend that you use fish oil instead.
Evidence shows that the human body doesn't efficiently convert ALA to the active forms, EPA and DHA, of which fish oil has plenty
Due to the large amount of polyunsaturated fats, flax seed oil should NOT be used for cooking
NUT OILS AND PEANUT OIL
There are many nut oils available and some of them taste awesome.
However, they are very rich in polyunsaturated fats, which make them a poor choice for cooking.
They can be used as parts of recipes, but do not fry or do any high heat cooking with them.
The same applies to peanut oil. Peanuts technically aren't nuts (they're legumes) but the composition of the oil is similar.
There is one exception, however, and that is macadamia nut oil, which is mostly monounsaturated (like olive oil). It is pricey, but I hear it tastes awesome.
If you want, you can use macadamia oil for low- or medium-heat cooking.
BUTTER
Butter was also demonized in the past due to its saturated fat content.
Make sure to choose butter from grass-fed cows.
Real butter is good for you and actually fairly nutritious.
It contains Vitamins A, E and K2. It is also rich in the fatty acids Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) and Butyrate, both of which have powerful health benefits. CLA may lower body fat percentage in humans and butyrate can fight inflammation, improve gut health and has been shown to make rats completely resistant to becoming obese.
There is one caveat for cooking with butter. Regular butter does contain tiny amounts of sugars and proteins and for this reason it tends to get burned during high heat cooking like frying.
If you want to avoid that, you can make clarified butter, or ghee. That way, you remove the lactose and proteins, leaving you with pure butterfat.
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