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Good Oils, and How to Read their Labels

February 22, 2020

We cannot do without the use of oil in our daily cooking. What we need to do though, is to know which type of oil is healthy, what the components of each type of oil are, and how we should go about choosing the right oil to use.

 

Oil Type What’s Good What’s Bad
Olive High on antioxidants Low smoking point (Changes chemical composition), beware while heating
Peanut Good mix of fats

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Sunflower High on Vitamin E High smoking point, good for frying
Canola High on Omega 3, lowest saturated fat content

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Coconut Helps build good cholesterol or HDL High on saturated fats
Butter

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 High saturated fats
Mustard Good mix of fats High on erucic acid, don’t use as only cooking oil
Rice Bran

New oil, the verdict is out on this one

 

Are you reading your labels right?

  • Make sure you are looking at the correct serving size. For example, 1tsp of oil contains…
  • Look for 0 Trans fats on the sticker. That’s a good thing
  • Look for low values for cholesterol, sodium, trans fats and saturated fats
  • Less cholesterol does not mean zero or no cholesterol. It usually means 25% lesser than usual or 2g or lower saturated fats
  • Oils fortified with Vitamin D or A are a great choice!

 

This information has been provided by Healthspring Community Medical Centres.

 

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