Welcome to the newest addition to our blog! For years we have been answering science related questions for our family and friends. Now we are answering your questions! This one comes from Twitter asking: Is there a healthy oil to cook with? Are there any other alternatives to using oil?
Find your way around:
Question 1: What are the healthiest oils/fats to cook with?
Answer: The healthiest oil/fat to sauté with is actually no oil at all. Try sautéing in vegetable broth or water instead!
Oil by it’s nature is the fat removed from the whole plant. This means that you are removing the fiber that helps your body process the oil. Eating a handful of olives is much healthier for you than the olive oil, just as eating the whole avocado is better than the avocado oil.
All oil injures endothelial cells
Dr. Esselystn the author of: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
Endothelial cells are what lines your arteries. After you eat a high fat meal, the oil circulates through your blood stream and can cause blockages that overtime can lead to heart attacks. (More detail to follow in our Cardiovascular disease post)
What about dishes that no oil doesn’t work?
While we try to reduce or substitute oil as much as possible, sometimes there is that one recipe that just doesn’t work. For that we keep a small bottle of extra virgin olive oil around. This may be just to coat a pan and then wipe out the excess.
Healthier cooking oil choices:
If we haven’t convinced you to avoid oil entirely, here is a tool that you can use to determine the least harmful kind of cooking oil. A “healthier” oil contains:
No trans fats, low in saturated fat, and high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.
The American Heart Association recommends to “choose oils with less than 4 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon.” Saturated fats are typically solid at room temp and cause oxidation in the arteries. Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temp and don’t cause the same type of damage.
Six oils that have no trans fat and less than 2 grams saturated fat/tablespoon:
| Oil Type | Saturated Fat | Poly- Unsaturated Fat | Mono- Unsaturated Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safflower | 1 g | 1.7 g | 10 g |
| Grapeseed | 1.3 g | 10 g | 2.2 g |
| Avocado | 1.6 g | 1.9 g | 10 g |
| Olive | 1.9 g | 1.4 g | 10 g |
| Sunflower | 1.8 g | 5 g | 6 g |
| Corn | 1.8 g | 7 g | 3.8 g |
Want to look up your favorite oil? Search here
Note: For all types of fats 1 gram = 9 calories, and 1 tbsp is about 14 grams or 126 calories. Remember that each tbsp you add is extra calories to burn off later!
Question 2: What does light sautéing mean?
Answer: Sauté means cooking by direct heat of the pan typically with a small amount of oil. Light sautéing is replacing the oil with water, broth, or wine.
An article in the Chicago Tribune in 1986 describes the difference between frying and sautéing. Frying being an “immersion in fat” vs sautéing only being a small amount of oil or fat to prevent sticking.
Avoiding oil may be as simple as choosing the right pan!
Teflon was the first non-stick pan and has been on the market since 1956. Fortunately, now we have a variety of choices on the market that even avoid the Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) from Teflon.
Our personal favorites are stainless steel for pots and pans and silicone or copper baking mats for the oven!
Question 3: Can I bake with olive oil?
Answer: Most baking is done at 350-400F which is below the smoking point for olive oil. For baked goods, our secret is to swap out oil for apple sauce (1:1 substitution).
The purpose of oil in baking is typically to provide moisture so that the baked good doesn’t dry out. While we still brush down our baking dishes with olive oil, instead of actually putting oil in the dish we replace it with apple sauce. Keeping a jar or individual containers around the house is easy and will keep your cornbread or brownies just as moist while avoiding the extra fat!
Question 4: Is coconut oil better than butter for healthy cooking?
Answer: Yes, in that butter raises LDL cholesterol while coconut oil only raises HDL. However, it is still not a health food due to the high saturated fat content.
An article in the British Medical Journal did a head to head between coconut oil, butter, and olive oil. Each participant had 50g of oil/fat per day for four weeks. Coconut oil caused a significant increase in HDL cholesterol levels, while butter significantly increased LDL cholesterol levels. Higher LDL levels are associated with greater risk of heart attacks. However it is important to keep the total cholesterol lower (under 150), as high HDL levels are not protective in itself.
One important point to mention, is the researchers did not have a control group that was without any type of oil. So while LDL and HDL levels may differ among the groups, we don’t know what impact no oil at all would have had on the participants. Perhaps they would have had a reduction in cholesterol levels for the control group.
Start Cooking Healthier Today!
Next time you get out your sauté pan, try a light sauté by using a tbsp of water or broth at a time. This will keep your delicious meal from sticking without adding any unnecessary fat. Swap out oil for applesauce in your baking and your arteries will thank you! Remember that no oil is truly a healthy option, so it is best to use it sparingly.
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