What oil should I be using?
It can be confusing navigating the world of oils. I often get asked - what is the best one for cooking? Which ones should I avoid? Should I even be eating oil?
This week I’m going to break down the different oils and hopefully leave you with some idea on what to use at home!
Cooking with oil provides the body with an easy way to add essential fatty acids to the diet to promote overall heart, skin and brain health. But some oils are better than others. Lets break this down.
I’m going to start with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). This oil that’s been directly taken from olives without adding any chemicals or heat treatment. Because it hasn’t been processed, it has a high polyphenol content (which has health benefits including reduced inflammation and improved heart health).
The polyphenols also protect against oxidation that happens with cooking – so you’re all safe to use when cooking at home up to 210 degrees Celsius (yes that means baking, sautéing, frying.. and of course for salad dressings and dips).
What’s the difference between olive oil and extra virgin olive oil?
EVOO is simply less processed than regular olive oil, meaning the polyphenol content is higher. However, EVOO can be significantly more expensive so regular olive oil is fine if that is a barrier. They are both also very high in monounsaturated fatty acids (healthy fats)!
Next up we have our vegetable/seed oils. This is generally a blend of one or more of either avocado, canola, corn, peanut, safflower, soybean, grapeseed or sunflower oil. These all still provide high amounts of those monounsaturated (healthy) fats, but for a lot of them they have low oxidative stability. This means, despite potentially having high smoke points (the point when oil begins to burn/ smoke), the oil still forms harmful compounds which reduces the shelf life, taste, smell and nutritional quality of the oil.
I would recommend using small amounts of these if possible. Avocado oil can be used as salad dressing though!
Lastly – coconut oil. Despite the huge craze for coconut oil 10 years ago, it has been debunked as a superfood. Coconut oil is rich in saturated fats or ‘unhealthy fats’, the type that increases our cholesterol and risk of heart disease. It can however be a great flavourful addition to some meals however, as with most things, moderation is best.
In summary:
- Look for words like ‘virgin’ or ‘extra virgin’ as these are less processed and hence have more nutritional quality
- Think about what you’re using the oil for. If cooking – olive oil is your best contender. If using as a salad dressing you can get more creative e.g. avocado oil, flaxseed oil, sesame oil..
- Check what type of fat the oils contain – we want healthy, unsaturated fats.
I hope you found this helpful and it gave you some clarity as to why most dietitians hype olive oil!
