People are growing more and more concerned about healthy eating. Cooking oil is a main component of many meals, but most people do not always know that there are a variety of healthy cooking oils that have great nutritional benefits. Try these healthy oils for cooking that will keep your health needs in check and help you make delicious food.
Canola Oil
Canola oil is low in saturated fats and is rich in monounsaturated fats. This kind of oil has a mild taste and is great if you're looking for an all-purpose oil for cooking (you don't want the oil to interfere with the taste of the food). Canola oil is particularly great because is includes alphalinolenic acid, an omega-3 fat that is often missing from diets.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the most commonly used cooking oils and for good reason: it's quite delicious and healthy. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat and contains phytochemicals that help protect the body against cancer and lower blood cholesterol levels. Olive oil cooking, unlike canola oil, adds a nice flavor to food, though it might interfere with the taste of some foods.
Macadamia Nut Oil
Macadamia nut oil has a nutty flavor particularly suited to foods like fish, chicken and salads. Like olive oil, macadamia nut oil is highly monounsaturated. This oil is also perfect for stir-frying and sautéing meats and vegetables.
Sesame Oil
Sesame oil also has a nutty flavor, and when used sparingly, it can add a distinctive flavor to your recipe. Because you don't need a lot of this oil, it's particularly useful for people on a tight budget. However, sesame oil's flavor is so intense that it can overpower some foods.
Soybean Oil
Soybean oil is what most vegetable oils are made from. This oil has a fair percentage of omega-3 fats, though not as much as canola and walnut oils. It has a mild flavor and won't interfere with the taste of your food.
Walnut Oil
Walnut oil has a nutty flavor that is particularly good for baking, cooking and salad creation. Walnut oil has a nice amount of omega-3 fats. Because the oil is minimally processed, it spoils quickly when opened. You should practice safe walnut cooking oil storage by refrigerating the oil as soon as possible.
Flaxseed Oil
Flaxseed oil is full of omega-3 fats and helps to make your arteries more flexible and reduce blood clots. Flaxseed oil needs to be refrigerated because heat destroys the omega-3 fats.
 | Essential fatty acids are good fats that your body can't manufacture on its own, but are necessary for proper functioning of the immune, reproductive and nervous systems, and the building and repairing of cell membranes. |
 | The benefits of olive oil make the substance one of the few good fats doctors recommend we include in our diets. |
Omega-3 fatty acids are called essential fatty acids, which mean that it cannot be synthesized by the body and must result from the diet. The best source for this fatty acid is found in fish especially sardines, salmon and herring. |
If you are health-conscious and have an interest in vitamins and nutritional supplements, you more than likely have taken notice of the Omegas: Omega-3 and Omega-6. They are also known as "Essential Fatty Acids," or EFAs. |
Many health professionals and health organizations, including the American Heart Association, agree that there are many nutritional health benefits of Omega-3 fats |
