The What to Buy for Which Purpose List:
The trick is to choose the right healthy oil for the right purpose. It often depends on the oil’s smoke point, the stage - when heard - that it begins to emit smoke and acrid odors. Usually, the higher the oil’s smoke point, the better it is for high-heat cooking, so chose the oil you need for the purpose at hand.
For Dressing, Drizzling - Extra-virigin olive oil: Olive oil contains the highest monounsaturate conten. Extra-virgin is the result of the first cold pressing of the olives. Being the purest, it’s also the most expensive. It has a low smoke point, so it should not be used for cooking.
For sauteing - Virgin olive oil: This is alos the result of the first pressing of the olives, but it is more acidic and the flavor is less robust. Always choose cold-pressed. Most mass-produced varieties are extracted with chemical solvents. Use for cooking foods at low and medium temperatures.
Safflower oil: Choose the high-oleic version of this light, neutral-flavored oil. It’s high in monounsaturates and has a high smoke point; it can be used for higher temps in cooking.
High-Heat Cooking - Light olive oil: “Light” refers to the oil’s color and taste, not its calorie content. It has the same monounsaturated fat as regular olive oil. Because of an extremely fine filtration process, it has little of the olive oil taste and fragrance and a higher smoke point, making it a good choice for baking and high-heat cooking. It’s usually a combination of refined virgin olive oils. Read label for the process, though.
Canola oil: After olive and sunflower oil, canola is the next highest in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. It can be used as a salad dressing and for baking and frying. This neutral-tasting oils is obtained from rapeseed, a mustard relative. Rapeseed is commonly sprayed with pesticides, be sure to look for organic, expeller-pressed brands of canola oil.
Peanut oil: An all-purpose oil that’s high in monounsaturated fats, peanut oil is also about 30 percent polyunsaturated fats and 20 percent saturated. Because it has a high smoke point, it’s prized for frying. Most commercial brands are chemically processed, though expeller-pressed brands are available at specialty stores and online. Peanut oil has a longer shelf life than other oils.
Sesame oil: Although this oil is high in polyunsaturates, its strong flavor means a little goes a long way. For Asian cooking, it’s a must. Choose dark for seasoning and light for frying.
Avocado oil: This light-tasting oil is not only high in monounsaturated fats, but can also withstand high-heat cooking.
Grapeseed oil: Although grapeseed oil is high in mono- and polyunsaturates, it has a high smoke point and is often used as a substitute for olive oil.
Sunflower oil: This mild-flavored oil is high in vitamin E. As with safflower oil, look for the high-oleic version, since it is 80 percent monounsaturated and has a high smoke point.
For Dipping and Splurging - There’s no end to the kinds of artisan nut, fruit, sedd, and infused-flavored oils sold in gourmet shops and online. Because of their costs and distinct flavors, use these designer oils sparingly, and keep them in the refrigerator. Experiment in making your own infusions. Especially high in healthy monounsaturated fats are macadamia, hazelnut, and almond oil–the latter can even be used for high-heat cooking. Although walnut oil and flaxseed oil are both high in polyunsaturates, they are beneficial in that they contain those omega-3s.
Think of how many references there are in the Bible to oils. We learn of oil as light, oil as healing medium, oil as a means of honoring, oils as an exchange of value. Maybe we need to consider the oils we cook with in this way, and see how they can add to our health. It might just change the way you cook, and they way you think
Your Parish Nurse
Rachel Spang