Many believe that olive oil is a healthy cooking oil, but this belief seems to be quite superficial because the types of this oil are multiple, some are good, and others are characterized by low quality.And before rushing to put a piece of butter when cooking, you should look for alternative healthy cooking oil. So, consider using cooking oil instead of butter because oil is a delicious addition to many dishes, and it can be healthier than butter and hard fats. There are many types of vegetable oils or nuts oils that add health and flavor to the taste.Follow our article to know how to choose a healthy cooking oil.For healthy cooking, it is important to choose a good and healthy cooking oil. But it is still necessary to know on which criteria to be based.

1. How to choose healthy cooking oil

Most liquid cooking oils are a better option than butter or margarine, but some types of cooking oils are healthier than others, so, we find healthy and unhealthy oil depending on the amount and type of fats it contains.The healthy cooking oil is high in monounsaturated fats, and it is one of the healthiest types of fats and may help lower high cholesterol levels in the blood, and there are other types of cooking oils containing multiple unsaturated fats, which are also healthy oils and can help to Improve heart health.The best type of healthy cooking oil is sunflower oil, olive oil, and soybean oil, which are among the best healthy oils. These oils are preferred for cooking, as they contain beneficial fatty acids for the body, and do not contain saturated fats that cause damage to heart health and arteriosclerosis, and vegetable oils contain antioxidants, minerals and vitamin E.We have to learn what is good for our health and what is harmful to it and know to choose a healthy oil. The temperature of the oil when heated over the fire may exceed 200 degrees, which allows the dissolution of the oil molecules, which causes the risk of cancerous tumors.There are three criteria for choosing a healthy cooking oil:

  • The temperature of cooking

Sunflower oil (oleic and classic) and olive oil tolerate high temperatures (> 180 ° C) and are therefore particularly suitable for cooking in deep frying. The oil will give a crisp texture to food that will appeal to all food lovers. For cold cooking, rapeseed oil and walnut oil are recommended: the neutrality of the first makes it a perfect ally to reveal the scent of food, the woody taste of the second, its softness and roundness in the mouth create a surprise for gourmets.

  • The type of cooking

In pastry making, do not hesitate to use vegetable oils. Why not dare to use walnut oil and olive oil to surprise your guests? Their pronounced character gives a unique flavor to pies, mousses, cookies or a classic like revisited yogurt cake.

  • Nutritional properties

Not all vegetable oils have the same nutritional properties, but they complement each other. It is therefore necessary to vary the oils to obtain all the health benefits. If you are looking for omega 9, opt for oleic sunflower oil and olive oil. For omega 3, walnut oil and rapeseed oil are perfect. Finally, omega 6 is particularly present in sunflower oil and walnut oil.Related: Chicken dish; what is the right cooked temp of chicken?

2. The healthy cooking oil

Here is a list of the healthy cooking oils:

2.1 Pure extra virgin olive oil

The pure extra virgin olive oil is best for cooking and eating with food. This oil contains large quantities of monounsaturated fat, which many studies have linked to better heart health, and the smoke point in it is less than the rest of the other olive oils, so it is best for low and medium-heat meals.

2.2 Coconut oil

Coconut oil is extracted from fresh, ripe coconut flesh.  Rich in saturated fatty acids (but not bad for health) and lauric acid, this oil has the distinction of being very stable and does not produce toxic compounds during cooking. Its richness in lauric acid would also give it antibacterial and antiviral effects.Note that the oil is solid at room temperature - it liquefies from 25 ° C.

2.3 Sunflower oil

Prepared from crushed sunflower seeds, pale yellow sunflower oil has a neutral taste. Its great advantage; its resistance to high temperature, which makes it the ideal oil for browning food! However, it is rich in omega 6, so limit its use and vary the different types of oils.

2.4 Canola oil

This oil is extracted from rapeseed, and contains the least amount of saturated fat compared to the rest of the vegetable olives, and is useful in cooking at high temperatures, as the smoke point in it is high.

2.5 Walnut oil

Very different from refined walnut oil, virgin walnut oil has unique nutritional qualities: rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnut oil is cholesterol-lowering and anti-atheromatous.With its pronounced taste, it goes well with endive salads and cheese salads like blue cheese. It can also be used for cooked vegetable dishes.It supports baking, which makes it interesting to make delicious cakes.

2.6 Avocado oil

Avocado oil is a great option, as it is not refined like virgin olive oil, but it has a higher smoke point, which means that it can be used to cook food at a higher temperature, and is characterized by almost zero flavor, which accelerates it to be a good and healthy cooking oil.

2.7 Sesame oil

Widely used in Asian cuisine, especially Chinese, sesame oil is mainly composed of unsaturated fatty acids. It thus contains 40% oleic acid (monounsaturated) and 40% linoleic acid or omega-6 (polyunsaturated). It is also very rich in vitamins (including antioxidant vitamin E: between 20 and 50 mg per 100 mg) and in mineral salts such as selenium.

3. How to use healthy cooking oil

The use of oils more than once in frying may produce some damages, as the substances that are fried in the oil leave a percentage of carbohydrates, and when these carbohydrates enter the body, they may harm the body, which affects the general health.The usage of cooking oil depends on the quality of the food and the way it is cooked, as the flavor of the oils differs from each other. For example, cooking oils extracted from nuts work well in pasta dishes rich in grilled meat.

3.1 Seasoning

Virgin olive oil, walnut oil, sesame oil and avocado oil are the best types of salads, so use them cool to take advantage of their many health benefits.

3.2 Pastry

You can substitute saturated fats with a little olive oil, canola oil, or peanut oil in preparing the containers.And on the bottom of the tray you can use the sprayer oil, which prevents sticking to sweets, and withstands high temperatures.

3.3 Cooking

Theoretically, all oils are generally usable for cooking, since the oil, unlike frying, is used only once and the core temperature does not generally not exceed 150 ° C. Of course, never smoke the oil. It is best to use oils with predominantly monounsaturated fatty acids, which hold heat better. Olive oil is an excellent choice. Hazelnut oil can also be used in cooking because it is rich in omega-9.Olive oil is suitable for cooking fish covered with herbs, sesame oil is suitable for cooking dishes inspired by Asia and Asian salads.

3.4 Frying

Although this is a cooking method to avoid, it is important to use oils that withstand hot weather. Olive oil, with a smoke point at 210 ° C, resists well for frying: it is better to use an inexpensive olive oil. The more affordable peanut oil is also doing the trick, but it provides an excess of omega-6.

Originally published on Live Positively.