Top 3 Edible Cooking Oils for Enriching Your Culinary Experience

Edible oils are an essential part of all cooking, whether it is Indian or western. While Indians use cooking oils for heavy-duty cooking, the usage of such oils pivots around sauteing or light salad drizzling in the west. Regardless of how they are used, let us try to understand what cooking oils are? 


What Are Edible Cooking Oils?

Many types of edible oil are available in the market. Their main purpose is to boost the level of dietary fat in our diet to ensure that our bodies function properly. 1. Before choosing the best edible oil, it is very important to compare the biological impact of these oils on our bodies. 

A low quality cooking oil can impede your purpose of cooking and infuse your food with detrimental effects in place of its benefits. High quality cooking oils are full of antioxidants, have a high smoke point, and are rich in unsaturated fatty acids to enhance your food's health. 

Disadvantages of using low-quality cooking oil

If you use low-quality cooking oil, you might encounter the following disadvantages :

  • It will reduce the nutritional content of your food 

Edible cooking oils that have unstable fats will end up reducing the nutritional content of your food and augment the health risk. 

  • Beware Of Hydroxynonenal (2)

Some oils produce a harmful compound known as HNE (hydroxynonenal) when they are heated. This compound can have detrimental effects on your health and therefore you should abstain from the usage of such oils. 

  • Keep their Smoke Point in consideration

If your cooking style involves a lot of grilling, sauteing, pan searing etc., it is advisable to opt for an edible oil that has a high smoke point. (3) This will allow you to cook your meals in a healthy manner.


Top 3 Edible Cooking Oils


We have put together a list of a few of the best edible oil for health benefits. You can take your pick as per your likes and preferences:

1. Coconut oil

Edible coconut oil

This is one of the best edible oils and is widely used for cooking across the globe. Approximately 100 grams of this oil contains 860 calories. The following benefits can be attributed to coconut oil :

  • It Is Resistant To Oxidation At High Heat 

Coconut oil has a compound called Lauric acid which makes this edible oil resistant to oxidation at high heat. Therefore, coconut oil is ideal for sauteing, frying etc. (4)

  • It Can Improve Your Heart Health 

It has been studied that coconut oil can improve the level of lipids in your blood and consequently reduce the occurrence of heart disease. (5)

  • It Can Augment Your Bodies’ Capacity To Burn Fat 

Coconut oil contains a type of saturated fat known as medium-chain triglycerides. MCTs have potential health benefits including their impact on augmenting your body’s ability to burn fats thereby promoting weight loss. (6


#ISOTip:

Do you know that your edible coconut oil may contain harmful chemicals like lauric acid, or palmitic acids? 

We recommend you to buy chemical-free coconut oil which is pure and sustainably grown . 

2. Sunflower Oil 

Sunflower oil is one of the best cooking oils because it has a high smoke point and it is low in saturated fats. It has various benefits such as :

  • It Keeps Your Brain Health In Check

Sunflower oil is a rich source of Vitamin E which is responsible for keeping your heart health in check. There have been some studies to support the claim that it can slow down the onset of Alzheimer's. (7

  • It Is Good For Your Heart 

Sunflower oil contains monounsaturated fats which are beneficial for your heart health. The dearth of saturated fats makes this edible oil an appropriate fit for controlling cholesterol. 

  • It Is Good For Your Skin 

Sunflower oil is a good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin E which makes this oil a dream ingredient in your diet for your skin. These Vitamins aid skin cells’ rejuvenation and natural moisturisation. 


Tips for buying a healthy sunflower oil: 


  1. Check the label for ingredients 
  2. Buy chemical-free sunflower oil for a healthy heart.

  • Mustard Oiledible mustard oil

If one was to compile a good edible oils list, mustard oil would definitely make the cut because of the following reasons:

  • It Is Ideal For Daily Consumption 

Mustard oil is the oldest edible oil that has been in use since the Indus Valley Civilization. (8)The fatty acid profile of this oil is healthy for daily use.

  • It Has A High Smoke Point 

Mustard oil has a high smoke point which means that it is ideal for frying, grilling and other cooking practices. The smoke point is a very important indicator of an oil’s desirability for cooking purposes. 

  • It Has Anti Inflammatory Benefits 

Mustard oil has anti-inflammatory benefits which means that it can provide comfort and relief against any inflammation-induced illness in your body. Although mustard oil has excellent anti-inflammatory benefits, the full extent of the same is yet to be backed by more scientific evidence. 


How to remove the pungent smell of Mustard Oil?


Sanjeev Kapoor, India's famous chef, once mentioned this simple tip in a Facebook post:

Before using mustard oil for preparing vegetables etc. heat it to a point till light smoke emerges from it. This would remove the pungency from the oil.




FAQs on Cooking Oils

1. What is the shelf life of edible cooking oil?

If you keep your edible oils at room temperature then they will be good for a year. However, you have to make sure that you keep them in a clean place. Any kind of contamination will make the oil go bad. You should always smell your oil before using it. If the oil smells sour or if you feel that there is something off, it's best to avoid using it. 


2. What is the method to know the quality of edible cooking oil?

If you wish to check the quality of edible oil, you can take some oil in a bowl and put yellow butter in it. If the oil changes its colour, the oil isn't pure and if it doesn't, your edible cooking oil is pure and safe for consumption. 


3. Is it safe to reuse leftover edible oil again?

Essentially, oils start to deteriorate once you cook in them. There has to be a limit on the number of times you reuse your cooking oil. It shouldn't be more than three times. Having said that, it is always advisable to avoid reusing your cooking oil to avoid the accumulation of trans fat.  

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