Do you ever go down the baking aisle and stand in front of all the different kinds of oil and wonder which one you should buy, which one is healthiest, which one you should avoid, or should you avoid them altogether? Well, hopefully this will give you a little insight to oils.
Rule number 1 (as well as rule number 2 through 78): Don't be afraid to use fat in your cooking.
Your body needs fat to perform metabolic functions that range from keeping brain cells firing (your gray matter is 70% percent fat) to healing scrapes and breaking down other nutrients.
The first 4 oils listed should be the first ones you grab when preparing food at home.
1. Canola Oil
What You Need to Know: Canola has a near perfect Omega-6 to Omega-3 fat ratio (2.5:1). People who have lowered this ratio have been able to battle cancer, arthritis, and asthma more effectively.
When to Use: Often. This is the best option for common cooking situations. Canola oil can withstand relatively high levels of heat, and its flavor is fairly neutral, so it won't dominate a dish.
2. Olive Oil
What You Need to Know: Olive oil is loaded with antioxidants that help battle many diseases such as cancer, osteoporosis, and brain deterioration. To get the full effect, though, you need to choose an oil of the extra-virgin variety.
When to Use: Expensive extra-virgin, with its robust flavor, should be saved to dress salads, vegetables, and cooked dishes. For cooking purposes, regular or light olive oil is sufficient.
3. Peanut Oil
What You Need to Know: Peanut oil is loaded with oleic acid that helps bolster memory. They also appear to help reduce appetite to promote weight loss.
When to Use: Because of its high smoke point, peanut oil should be your go-to oil for frying and many high-heat tasks like wok-cooking stir-fries and pan-searing pieces of meat and fish.
4. Sesame Oil
What You Need to Know: Sesame oil comes stacked with sesamol. During a 20-week treatment, this potent antioxidant was able to reduce skin tumors on mice by 50 percent.
When to Use: There are two different varieties of sesame oil - a light cooking oil good for high-heat cooking and a dark oil made from toasted seeds that's best used like a condiment, added to sauces or drizzled over noodle dishes.
The next four oils should be pretty much banned from your kitchen!
5. Soybean Oil - aka Vegetable Oil
What You Need to Know: Soybean oil is the invisible fat. It's the one you're eating when you don't have any clue what your eating. The typical American eats 27.6 times more soybean oil than olive oil, and much of that comes from generic bottles labeled as "vegetable oil." It's the main reason why our omega-6 to omega-3 ratios are so out of whack.
When to Use: Soybean oil is cheap and versatile, but you're better off with canola or peanut oil.
6. Lard
What You Need to Know: Lard's gotten a bad rap. Not only does the pig blubber carry a third less saturated fat than butter, it also has as much oleic acid as peanut oil. Problem is most supermarket varieties are hydrogenated to increase shelf life, which means they're packing trans fat. But getting lard at home is easy-just save your bacon drippings.
When to Use: Many swear by lard for pie crusts and frying chicken. If you find a trans-fat variety, use it sparingly.
7. Butter
What You Need to Know: Butter is an excellent source of conjugated linoleic acid, which actually functions as a cancer-fighting mechanism in your body. That doesn't mean you want to move healthy oils out to make more room for butter, just realize modest use in the kitchen is totally acceptable.
When to Use: It's a logical choice for baked goods and adds a rich note to certain sautes and sauces. When it comes to buttering toast, whipped butter cuts your fat and calories in half.
8. Margarine
What You Need To Know: To truly be considered margarine, sticks and tubs must contain at least 80 percent vegetable oil, and generally that oil is of the trans fatty, partially hydrogenated variety. If you really want to get away from butter, opt for a spread made with healthy fats such as Smart Balance Buttery Spread with Flax Oil.
When to Use: Never use margarine that contains trans fat, but find a healthier version for occasional use.
And now YOU know!
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