Cooking with oils – what to use (and what to avoid)

Colder weather calls for more cooking at home, doesn’t it?

Maybe you’re going to test out new tasty baking recipes to prepare for the holidays. Make bigger batches of chili and soups to have plenty of leftovers to warm up during the week. And whipping up heartier dinners to eat in front of the fireplace, with a classic movie playing in the background.

The warm kitchen is a wonderful place to be, as the weather starts getting cooler.

So, I wanted to let you in on some oil tips when cooking because a lot of society has turned a blind eye to healthy fats, especially when cooking.

When in reality, good fat is GOOD! And we can incorporate a lot of these good fats in our recipes.

Oils are rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (healthy fats instead of saturated fats) These Unsaturated fats are good for cholesterol and blood pressure, also reducing the risk of heart disease.

Other benefits of having good fats in our diets:

            Helps our bodies absorb certain fat-soluble nutrients.

            Contributes to our sense of fullness when eating.

            Aids in cell growth.

            Supports healthy inflammatory pathways.

            Optimizes brain function.

            Improves our skin.

We can get these simply from the oils we cook with. But there are oils out there that will do more harm than good.

When cooking with oils, you want to use:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats)

Avocado Oil (Packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats AND high smoke point)

Coconut Oil (Great for baking)

And avoid oils like these:

Vegetable Oil (Associated with an increased risk for heart disease)

Canola Oil (Releases compounds during heating that can activate inflammatory markers in the body)

Corn Oil (High in Omega-6 fatty acids and can produce harmful chemicals when heated)

Reply to this email with any questions you may have about which oils to use and which to stay away from, I love to help!