Oil is one of the most used products in all kitchens in the world, and is used to prepare recipes of all kinds: it is present in pastries, in salads, in stews, on the grill … Few dishes work without its good splash of oil , especially in the Mediterranean diet. In addition, it is considered one of the healthiest foods in the world since it contains many healthy fats. But not all oils are equally beneficial to health . Do you want to discover which is the healthiest oil to cook and which you cannot miss in your dishes? Keep reading.
Olive oil, the best of oils
There are a lot of varieties of vegetable oils for cooking: sunflower oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, palm oil, canola oil, corn oil, or olive oil are just some of the best known. But without a doubt – and nutritionists and health experts from all over the world agree on this – the healthiest oil for cooking is olive oil , due to its high content of healthy fats, omega 3 and antioxidants. Therefore, it is highly recommended that this is the one we choose when cooking.
The main problem with olive oil is that it is more expensive than the rest , and that depending on the country we are in, it may not be so easy to find it in food stores (in Spain and other Mediterranean countries there is no problem , but not so in northern Europe or the United States). Therefore, it is good to know what makes an oil good for consumption and use in the kitchen, to be able to choose between other options when we cannot access olive oil.
Factors to consider when choosing the healthiest oil for cooking
Saturated fats
The intake of saturated fat and trans fat can raise cholesterol levels, which is why health authorities recommend reducing saturated fat to less than 7 percent of the total calories we consume per day, and eliminating trans fat as much as possible. possible. Healthy fats can help improve blood cholesterol levels when we replace animal-based ingredients (butter, fat) with a healthier, plant-based cooking oil . Cooking oils such as coconut, sunflower, or olive oil are good sources of unsaturated fats.
The fried and the smoke point
Olive oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and the high oleic varieties of coconut oil are excellent sources of monounsaturated fatty acids. Olive oil can give a Mediterranean flavor to the kitchen, while the previous three oils have a very light flavor perfect to be used in the deep fryer (since, although the healthiest oil to cook is olive, it is also much more expensive).
However, typical extra virgin olive oil has a much lower smoke point (maximum heating point at which the oil begins to lose its properties) than other oils. When you go to simmer with olive oil, choose the most refined, which has the highest smoke point . On the other hand, if what you are going to do is use it raw to season food, choose the darkest (extra virgin).
If you can’t afford to spend large amounts of olive oil, the second best option is high oleic sunflower oil , due to its high smoke point and high levels of heart-healthy fats.
Other tips for frying
It is very common to reuse oil for frying, but it is a very unhealthy practice. Reusing the oil, as well as keeping it at high temperatures for prolonged periods favors the creation of free radicals and increases the absorption of unhealthy trans fats. For this reason, health authorities recommend avoiding commercially fried foods (for example, potatoes from fast food establishments) due to the likelihood of higher trans fat content, as the oil is reused many times.
