Beyond Olive Oil

Vegetable oils are a calorie dense food. Most oils have 110 to 120 calories per tablespoonful, so use them accordingly. Fortunately, a tablespoonful is usually plenty for cooking and most oils add a lot of flavor so you really do not need to use all that much. 

Olive oil gets most of the good press from credible nutritionists and for good reason. Over 70% of the fat in olive oil is oleic acid, a healthy monounsaturated fat. Only 14% of the fat in olive oil is saturated. It also contains a high amount of various antioxidants. Monounsaturated fats are helpful in avoiding stroke and coronary disease. It is also quite tasty.

Olive oil does have a relatively low smoke point, the point at which the heat begins to oxidize the oil, so it may not be best for frying at higher temperatures. But all-in-all, it is hard to beat healthwise.

But there are other oils that also score high with the American Heart Association. All have less than 4 grams of saturated fat per tablespoonful and can bring a whole new set of flavors to your cooking. While olive oil may be your "go to" oil, the following also merit your consideration.

Avocado, peanut and safflower oils have strong flavors and much higher smoke points (450 deg F and up vs 325 def F for olive oil). If you prefer a milder flavor then canola (often called rapeseed), soybean, corn and sunflower oil will all fill the bill. You can use any of them for cooking, baking or as a base for your own salad dressings. Any one of them is wellness friendly.

Coconut and palm oils are best used in moderation. They contain almost three times the saturated fat of the oils suggested above and, like olive oil, have a low smoke point (350degF). Coconut oil is very flavorful though so you may want to have some on hand for occasional use. Palm oil is present in a wide variety of baked goods, so check labels if you want to avoid it.