Consuming the Oil – May’s Thoughts

Posted on Monday, May 11th, 2015

You have many options when it comes to selecting oils for cooking. There’s avocado oil, canola oil, coconut oil, corn oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil and sesame oil.

There’s something you should know, oil changes its original taste and nutrition content in the cooking process. When you’re cooking at a high heat, you want to use oils that are stable and don’t oxidize or go rancid easily. Not all oils are created equal. In fact, no one oil can be used for all things. With oil, you can bake, fry, sauté, burn, or just keep as is.

High Heat Cooking

oil-dropWhen it comes to high heat cooking, coconut oil is your best choice. Over 90% of the fatty acids in it are saturated, which makes it very resistant to heat. Coconut Oil also contains a unique combination of fatty acids with powerful medicinal properties. Almost 50% of the fatty acids in coconut oil is the 12-carbon Lauric Acid. The fats in coconut oil can also boost metabolism slightly and increase feelings of fullness compared to other fats. It is the only cooking oil that made it to my list of superfoods.

Dipping and Dressing

The oil you dip and dress, and then consume are usually not altered after its purchase. (Unless it expires, in that case, its properties definitely do change).

Flax, olive, peanut, toasted sesame or walnut oil are delicious and can be ready for consumption as is.

Sources:

Share with us your what you like to cook with oil in the comments below or by emailing wellness@algonquincollege.com for a chance to win a $100 Bryson Farm’s gift card!


Comments

  • Lorraine Drent Says:
    May 12th, 2015 at 8:37 am

    I will definitely use coconut oil more often for cooking than other oils

  • Robyn Nero Says:
    May 12th, 2015 at 10:31 am

    I know that it is more expensive but I prefer to cook with olive oil (virgin). I like olive oil because I can cook with it at high temperature without it burning. Additionally, I do not do a lot of frying or deep-frying, instead I will use it to brush on to chicken in the oven or drizzle on potatoes etc. Further, I like to make my own salad dressings. Olive oil has a very unique taste. Olive oil can be used to drizzle some asparagus or for dipping a nice piece of bread into. I also feel healthier when I am cooking with olive oil because it does not have the same amount of chemicals as other oils such as vegetable oil.

  • Myriam Thanasse Says:
    May 12th, 2015 at 10:55 am

    Personally, I prefer Sunflower oil. It is stable enough for frying, good for baking, high in vitamin E, has no trans fats and is lower in saturated fats. It also has a nice, light taste. Everything in moderation!

  • Kim Says:
    May 13th, 2015 at 2:13 pm

    French fries in peanut oil. You have to treat yourself sometimes!

  • Jamie Says:
    May 15th, 2015 at 8:16 am

    I got into the coconut thing for a while but stopped when I realized I was paying more for something that tasted and performed worse. From Coconut Flour to Oil, I am not a believer. I especially disagree with the resistance to heat, at least when it comes to baking – it should be left to low temperature baking and light sautéing. But that could just be my poor cooking skill :s

    The article sourced looks at a variety of NCBI peer-reviewed papers (from 2000 to 2009) to tell a tale of “medicinal benefits” but seems to pick and choose the facts. Literally the next source in the NCBI archive about medium chain triglycerides (MCT) shows the previous studies failures to demonstrate positive results.

    “…results are inconclusive and there is a need for further controlled studies with standardized amounts of MCT”.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22566308

    When referring to Lauric Acid (LDL), the medical benefits/effects on artery disease are again uncertain.
    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/77/5/1146.full

    I can’t slag on Coconut Oil for false medicinal benefits though. The olive oil industry is no better, their fancy website http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-health-benefits is full of ill-sourced “medicinal benefits”, but at least it tastes good, and is more versatile in the kitchen. Plus Monounsaturated fats are actually a proven fat have benefits on the heart, assuming you are reducing saturated and trans fat.
    http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Monounsaturated-Fats_UCM_301460_Article.jsp

    Signed – A paid olive oil shill

  • Lindsay James Says:
    May 15th, 2015 at 11:23 am

    Thanks for sharing the benefits of cooking with coconut oil!

    I am a big fan of using coconut oil in certain dishes. For me personally, I love the different flavours that it offers these dishes. One of my favourites is using it for pancakes. It is such a sweet taste and the pancakes cook up golden but moist on the inside (and my daughter goes crazy for them). It is also great if you are looking for just a slightly different taste with scrambled eggs – adds just a slight sweetness.

    Another great use for coconut oil is using it as a deep conditioner on your hair. The oil leaves your hair silky soft afterwards and basically frizz free (great for semi-curly hair) and for the hot and humid summer days.

  • Lindsay James Says:
    May 15th, 2015 at 11:44 am

    Here’s a great foodie blogger that I follow, SarahBellum. She has some amazing recipes!
    http://www.sarahbellum.org

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