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Learn
the differences among vegetable oils
Nov. 02, 2006
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Bad
fats – artery clogging saturated fat and trans fat –
are getting a lot of attention in the news. That’s prompting
some readers to take a closer look at the oils they’re
using to cook with at home.
In some ways, decisions about cooking oils have gotten simpler.
Advice from the ’90s to radically restrict all types
of fat has eased up. In part, that’s because nutrition
science is finding that the amount of fat in the diet appears
to be less important to health than the type of fats
we eat.
There’s no doubt about fats to avoid. Meat, dairy products,
commercial baked goods and fast-food french fries, for example,
are comparatively high in the trans fats and saturated fats
that raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk
of a heart attack.
But unsaturated fats have the opposite effect. They’re
the good fats that lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce
our risk of coronary artery disease.
Plant foods – vegetables, nuts, seeds and their oils,
as well as seafood – contain the highest amounts of
unsaturated fats. Simply put, oils from vegetables, nuts and
seeds contain more healthful fats than do butter and lard
(largely made of saturated fat) and margarine (usually composed
largely of trans fat).
Here’s something to keep in mind, because you’ll
see these terms when you look for fat on food labels: There
are two forms of unsaturated fat – polyunsaturated fat
and monounsaturated fat. Both types appear to support good
health. Another thing to be aware of: Oils contain mixtures
of different types of fat.
One reader told me she noticed the olive oil she was buying
contained 13 percent saturated fat. She wondered: How could
olive oil be a good choice if it contains saturated fat? Most
foods with any fat at all contain the full range of saturated,
polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and, sometimes, trans fat,
too. Olive oil, for example, contains a bit of saturated fat,
but more than 70 percent of olive oil is the good-for-you,
monounsaturated, fat.
Most vegetable, seed and nut oils contain large amounts of
unsaturated fat and smaller amounts of saturated fat. For
example:
* Safflower, sunflower and corn oils are mostly polyunsaturated
fat, with some monounsaturated fat and a small amount of saturated
fat, too.
* Canola, olive, soybean and peanut oils contain mostly monounsaturated
fat, with some polyunsaturated fat and a small amount of saturated
fat.
Palm oil and coconut oil are exceptions. Both are mostly saturated,
with smaller amounts of monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated
fat. Coconut oil, in particular, is nearly 90 percent saturated
fat.
So which vegetable oil should you use?
That depends on what you want to use it for. In terms of health,
any vegetable oils are good choices, but limit the tropical
oils.
Other factors to consider:
* Flavor. Olive oil – particularly the more flavorful
extra virgin varieties – can give an odd flavor to pancakes
and cookies (though some people swear by it for any and every
use). But it’s a good all-purpose oil for most other
stovetop uses – sautéing onions, garlic and vegetables.
In baked goods, a less flavorful oil such as corn or canola
works best. Many people like to stir-fry vegetables in peanut
oil.
* Cost. It’s OK to vary your vegetable oil purchases
according to what’s on sale.
* Availability. Take a cue from one reader who, when she couldn’t
find the safflower oil she wanted, bought canola oil instead.
How many different cooking oils should you keep on hand at
home? It’s up to you. I keep olive oil and corn oil
in my pantry, and that’s it. Keep in mind that oil becomes
rancid over time. So, unless you use a lot, avoid large bottles.
And be sure to store oils in a cool, dark place.
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