Healthy cooking oil
I hear/read all the information about how "healthy" olive oil is but when I look at the saturated fat content I am concerned about clogging my heart! Also, most comes from europe/mediterranian region - no offense but that is along way for my food to travel. What else is out there, besides canola oil, that is healthy and versatile in my kitchen and produced here in the States?
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13 Comments:
The fat in olive oil is polyunsaturated which is what makes it a good oil. i.e. You won't paint the interior of your arteries a mucky yellow if you use it. The fat in butter and other animal products is saturated fat.
Even though all fat is roughly 100 calories a tablespoon, it's the quality of those calories and the overall effect on health that differentiates one oil from the other as far as health benefit.
My BF recently told me that until we met, he used a ton of butter and a bottle of olive oil would last him two years.
I believe some artisan growers in San Francisco produce beautiful fruity olive oils if you're wary of food products with too many miles on them. Go here for a sampling.
chiff0nade at 1:50PM on 06/05/08
The benefits of olive oil come from the high proportion of monounsaturated fats it contains and other beneficial compounds, not because it is low in other fats or in calories. This website has detailed nutritional profiles and there is an article on Wikipedia that goes into a lot of detail on olive oils.
There are other oils with low saturated fats and higher unsaturated fats, for example safflower oil, but they don't taste as good as olive oil. They are however much better for frying than olive oil. And I'm not sure that they contain the same compounds that olive oil has that are good for you.
As for coming from Europe -- that's a long way for a tomato to travel. But not for a food product with a relatively long shelf life, like olive oil. And that's where the olives are. You can get good California olive oils too. But like good wines, different regions produce different oils. Frankly distance is not a factor -- quality of the oil is.
kjgibson at 1:58PM on 06/05/08
@chiff--that's a great link, thanks!
@teleskier--California is producing great olive oil, grape seed oil, and some nut oils. I find that the gourmet shops or higher end markets have the best selection of domestic and imported oils.
My husband and I bought some olive oils from some of the vineyards we visited in Napa & Sonoma. We really like the BRCohn oils, but we have had a hard time finding it outside of CA. That's the problem with smaller producers, they don't make enough for wide distribution, but then again, it's also what makes them special.
wookie at 2:08PM on 06/05/08
Grape seed oil is in the same "good for you oil" company as olive oil, and it's also very good for frying, as it's smoking point is about 420F. It's good for baking, stir-fries and sautéing, and compared to olive oil, it has a relatively neutral taste (which also means that it's good for homemade salad dressings or mayo). As wookie said, it's also produced in California.
I have probably 6-7 different oils in my kitchen at all times, for different applications. While I use olive oil when cooking some things, for high-temperature applications (like stir-fries), I normally use either grape seed or canola oil.
brooke29 at 2:40PM on 06/05/08
Thanks everyone for the feedback - I am really trying to stay away from olive oil b/c of the saturated fat content and the flavor (yes I said that). I quess I am after a neutral flavor with versatility - canola is out for me...personally
kj or anyone - What is the story on Safflower oil - I guess I would want a high monounsaturated fat safflower oil - low saturated fat? Neutral in flavor?
Help!!
teleskier at 5:44PM on 06/05/08
No canola? why? I use lovely Canadian cold pressed canola. Grape seed is pretty good too.
PeanutButter at 9:48PM on 06/05/08
I've used sunflower oil and peanut oil without any heavy after-flavor. I've had issues keeping sunflower oil, even stored in the fridge. My other cooking oils (olive, peanut, sesame, canola) keep at least a month.
As far as statistics, I can't provide a reliable source off the top of my head detailing which is healthier (at least while I'm at work) that isn't something as unreliable as Wikipedia.
Cassaendra at 7:49AM on 06/06/08
When it comes to oil, the less refined, the better - refining strips away nutrients, leaving an unbalanced food, which makes the health liabilities of an oil (fat content) outweigh the benefits (good fats, fatty acids, vitamins).
Unrefined sesame oil is an excellent alternative to extra-virgin olive oil; if using safflower oil (which has a neutral flavor), choose a high-oleic safflower oil (the one high in monounsaturated fat), as it's more balanced than regular safflower oil (which is too high in omega-6 to be healthful). I'm with you on avoiding canola - it's extremely refined to the point of being toxic. Coconut oil is good for frying and baking (high in saturated fat, but unrefined and wholesome; also who is concerned about health when they are frying?) - don't get virgin or extra-virgin coconut oil if you want a neutral flavor.
Peanut oil is another option, but since the USA's peanut crop is among its most pesticide-laden crops, the toxins are highly concentrated in peanut oil. Use organic, if you can find it. Though peanut oil isn't as healthful as e.g. olive oil, it's good for cooking at higher temperatures. Same with grapeseed oil - grapes are actually the #1 most pesticide-sprayed crop, and fatty seeds are where the most toxins are stored; avoid it unless you can find an organic, unrefined oil.
I know not everyone is sold on buying organic, but when it comes to fats and oils, it's more important than anywhere else, because plants store the most toxins in their fats. If you're only going to buy one organic item in your kitchen, make it your oil!
producestories at 9:33AM on 06/06/08
WOW producestories - this is great information! I'm not doubting you - but just wondering where you learned all of this? Are you in the nutrition biz?
CookiePie at 10:19AM on 06/06/08
I heard too that olive oil is better for you raw (not heated);
and that you're supposed to use 'extra virgin' as opposed to straight olive oil.
hungrychristel at 1:37PM on 06/06/08
Olive oil is definitely the way to go from what I hear. Mayyybe vegetable oil, but I'd avoid canola or peanut oils...or maybe oil altogether :) Just kidding, I know it sounds nearly impossible...except this restaurant handles it quite well actually.
Chew on That at 5:58PM on 06/06/08
I use grapeseed oil for almost everything.
joanpieroni2 at 8:20PM on 06/06/08
Thanks for all the information - I did a little research on line this weekend and found Spectrum, of course, but came across this group that deals directly with farmers and the production of oilseeds (http://www.montola.com/safflower/index.php) . Looks like mostly safflower and sunflower - the "high oleic" kind - (I think that means monounsaturated fats?) Says "non-gmo" as well...interesting...thought I might share...
teleskier at 1:13PM on 06/09/08