healthy cooking oils

[suzie]

Are there any cooking oils other than olive oil that are good for you? I'm looking for another option that is good for both health and weight loss and I'm hoping there's one out there. I don't need to replace olive oil, I'm just hoping that I can use a different one every now and again.

[Lydiapurple]

I would like to know this too. I always thought Olive oil was the one to use, so that's what I use lol

[antoniojones1968]

I look forward to hearing the answer about htis one. One thing that you should note, though, is that you should be cooking with the right kind of olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil for raw (like salad dressings) and regular olive oil when you're cooking (using it as a cooking oil). This is because the extra virgin oil is damaged when you heat it up and it actually becomes unhealthy for you.

Can't wait to find out what the olive oil alternative is, though. Does anyone out there know?

[tankini]

oh gees I had no idea you should not use extra virgin for cooking... That's the one I always buy I just assumed it was the healthier of the two it being "extra virgin" and all. Now I guess I need to buy both types of olive oil. Learn something new every day!

[steve_ross]

If you have to go to another option go for canola oil.

[jan]

flax seed oil is great, too, if you can afford the $$$. I like to have it for when my meals for the day didn't have very much Omega 3 in them. That way, I know that I've topped up my body. It's better than buying products with flax seeds in them (unless they're crushed) because the body can't digest whole flax seeds. They usually just pass on through.

[Lydiapurple]

I use low fat margarine in the pan when I cook. I know not the greatest but it IS low fat

[sarah]

I use low fat margarine in the pan when I cook. I know not the greatest but it IS low fat

butter and margarine aren't as "bad" as their reputations have made them out to be. I think you're headed in the right direction by choosing the low fat margarine. The American Heart Association just recommends that if you do use margarine, pick the soft, spreadable kind, and nothing hard, because it has fewer trans fats.

[luckynans]

Fitness and Weight Loss

Oils should be of good quality and cold-pressed. Some choices are olive oil, sesame oil and flax oil.

[ChristySmiles]

Once you've made your choice of the right oils, you should also pay attention to how much you use. You need to use enough, of course, but try to keep it to a minimum. By not overdoing it, you'll be making a big difference, too. Look at how much you actually need, not how much you use out of habit.

[Lydiapurple]

What does "cold-pressed" mean??

[treehuggertodd]

What does "cold-pressed" mean??

It's a type of process that is used in the making of cooking oil (like olive oil, specifically) where the temperature doesn't exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) while the crushed olives are pressed to remove their oils. It's not exactly "cold", but it's colder than the older traditional methods where a lot of heat was involved. Adding too much heat in the process will mean that there is more oil drawn out of the olives, but it reduces the oil's quality. I love how smart that made me sound. Actually, I just googled it