Healthy Cooking Oils

Cooking oil is often defined as a liquid fat that is extracted from plants, that is used extensively in cooking. Sometimes, the cooking oil is also extracted from animal fat (and is considered as a non vegetarian food by many vegetarians). A healthy cooking oil are determined as healthy, by keeping in mind some essential points and factors. The following are some of the essential points that you can consider while choosing an appropriate oil for yourself.

• If you are too afraid of cholesterol and fat, avoid all the vegetable cooking oils, as a normal tablespoon of vegetable cooking oil contains about 14 grams of fat and a generous 125 count of calories.
• For the purpose of a salad dressing, go in for the cold pressure and unrefined vegetable oils, that too in minimum possible quantities. Some of the prominent examples of such oils are sesame, sunflower and safflower.
• For the purpose of cooking, it is recommended that you use extra virgin olive oil.
• Another very important aspect to remember, when you use any kind of cooking oil is not to over heat the oil, especially beyond its prescribed smoke temperature.
• It is also advisable that you do not consume oils that are filled with saturated fat, as they add considerably to the level of fat in the body.
• The same condition exits also in the case of hydrogenated oils. If you are trying to cut down on the fat levels in your body, then this oil is like a poison to you.
• The use of hydrogenated margarine is recommended, as it does not add to the level of fat in the body.
• Reduce your intake of saturated fats and substitute it with oils containing monounsaturated fats.

Top Recommended Healthy Cooking Oils

Olive Oil
Olive oil is the best alternative for all the other fat filled cooking oils. Olive oil is derived from the fruit olive, which is found traditionally in the Mediterranean regions. Though this oil is very healthy, it is grown in few regions of the world. Olive oil is classified under a variety of different sub classes such as extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, pure olive oil, etc. based on the level of their fat content. A word of personal experience, this oil goes well with any type of salads and also all the Italian preparations.

Almond Oil
Almond is one of the most prominent oils, that is used as a low fat alternative to many vegetable oils. The only drawback of almond oil, is that it tends to be pretty expensive. Almond oil is prominently used and produced in the Middle East and the monsoon regions of the world. The oil is derived from the almond dry fruit and is called Oleum amygdalae. Though this oil has a low amount of fat, it also has a very generous amount of fatty acids, that are required by the human body. The constant use of almond oil as cooking oil, makes the skin look extremely beautiful.

Canola Oil
Canola oil is derived from a seed named as the rapeseed. This Eurasian plant has been used for a very long time, to derive various types of oils. The best feature of this oil, is that it has a very low content of erucic acid, that adds a considerable amount of fat to the body. The constant use of this oil has been declared very beneficial to the human body, by many medical associations and agencies throughout the world.

To choose the best cooking oil, you can also refer to the different charts, that depict the levels of cholesterol and fat contained in these oils. It is however, advisable to continue the oil that is predominantly used in the region that you reside in. It is better to cut down on your intake of oils, have a low fat diet and exercise more, to gain a very healthy form.