Right Nutrition and Role of Cooking Oil

Leonardo Olive Oil August 16, 2016 Health and Nutrition 2903 Views

Right nutrition has a powerful effect on your health. And right cooking is one of the best ways to make sure you get a healthy dose of the same. Your cooking practice or behaviour plays a paramount role in nutrition, controlling calories and ensuring overall good health. Many people know this fact, but still emphasis on foods rather than cooking practices such as choice of cooking oil.

Choosing the right cooking oil is as important as making the right food choices. So, let’s get acquainted with the role of cooking oil in nutrition and how healthy cooking methods can give your health a big boost.

Role of Cooking Oil

Healthy cooking oil should lock in flavour and retain valuable nutrients without adding to it fat, sodium or sugar. If it doesn’t, you must make a change.

Get skinny on fats: Your body requires a certain amount of fat for smooth body functioning. Choosing polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats instead of trans-fats and saturated varieties not only gives you essential fats that your body requires (but unfortunately cannot produce), but also benefits the brain, heart, cells, lungs and the immune system. Cooking oils such as olive oil replaces the bad fats (saturated and trans-fats) with healthier fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated). It lowers bad cholesterol levels, which raises the risk of heart diseases and stroke¹.
Pile on antioxidants: Cooking oils, such as olive oil, are known to contain polyphenols, and antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties. These properties significantly reduce the odds of you developing cancer and increase the immunity to protect you from infections².

Healthy ways to Cook

Healthy cooking keeps body weight in check, helps control calories and ensures overall good health. It is therefore, in your best interest to use healthy cooking methods as part of your overall healthy lifestyle. As far as possible, use vegetable oil(s) that are low in saturated fats, trans-fat and cholesterol³.

Stir-frying vs. frying: Frying adds unnecessary fats and calories. Therefore, avoid frying of foods as much as you can. Alternatively, stir-fry vegetables, poultry and seafood preparations. Try to cut back on salt and seasoning. Pomace Olive Oil has a significantly high smoking point which makes it ideal for frying food. Olive Oil- Extra Light can be used for stir frying and shallow frying.
Other healthy cooking methods: Roasting, grilling, sautéing and steaming are some other healthy ways to cook.

Who would have thought your health gets so affected … with an oil? Don’t overlook your cooking oil! Cook with a healthy oil and make your everyday meals healthier!

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