Five Most Sustainable Oils You Should Use To Cook Your Meals
Every cooking oil comes with pros and cons. It is essential to pick oils for cooking based on their degree of processing and smoke point.
Most recipes begin with a dash of butter or oil in the pan, and likely, you own a collection of bottles with slightly greasy oils, sitting somewhere on a shelf in your kitchen. But all cooking oils are not created equal. Some oils are better for preparing certain culinary dishes and have different ethical and environmental impacts than others. Below are five sustainable oils that will not only benefit you — if used for cooking — but also the environment.
Vegetable oil
Vegetable oil is procured from an odd combination of corn, canola, soybean, soy, olive, sesame, peanut, safflower, cottonseed, palm oils, and sunflower. It is considered an impeccable medium for preparing fried foods owing to its high smoke points, and it makes cooking easier. However, it is best to go for organic vegetable oil to reap the best benefits.
Avocado oil
The smoke point of avocado oil is approximately 271°C ( 520°F) — making it the best choice for cooking foods that require high heating, like deep frying. The oil tastes like avocado, and you may swap it for olive oil. The nutritional composition of avocado oil is the same as that of olive oil and is rich in oleic acid, a heart-healthy fat.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is now identified worldwide as the newest darling oil in the market. At room temperature, it is solid — and when heated, it liquefies. Coconut oil is the new vegan replacement for butter. It adds a mild coconut-like flavor and aroma to the food and is even healthy.
Olive oil
Olive oil has a smoke point of approximately 176°C (350°F) — this cooking temperature is commonly used to prepare several recipes, specifically those for baked items. For decades, olive oil has been considered the best oil for cooking — largely owing to its versatility. It has a mild grassy and peppery flavor and can be used for sautéing, baking, and also cold dressings. It contains vitamin E — which serves as an antioxidant, and is rich in oleic acid — which may have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.
Sesame oil
The smoke point of sesame oil is medium-high — approximately 210°C (410°F). It is rich in sesaminol and sesamol — heart-healthy antioxidants with various benefits like a potential neuroprotective reaction against diseases such as Parkinson’s. Sesame oil is ideal for sautéing, salad dressing, and cooking. It adds a subtle nutty flavor that works wonders for various stovetop dishes.
Regardless of what oil you pick for cooking, you must ensure they are organic.
