Healthy Cooking Oils

There are many different cooking oils on the market today, but some offer more nutritional benefits than others. Healthy cooking oils have good quantities of unsaturated fats while still being useful in the kitchen. Each of the following cooking oils is recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) for use in cooking and as a replacement for butter or lard, which are both high in saturated fat. The AHA has found that replacing sources of saturated fat with oils high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats can reduce your risk of heart disease.

Both the AHA and Mayo Clinic recommend olive oil for cooking and as a condiment or salad dressing. According to the AHA, the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil may help reduce total and LDL cholesterol and protect against heart disease. Be sure to choose "extra-virgin" or "virgin" olive oil, as these oils are less processed and have higher levels of antioxidants. Olive oil does have a lower smoke point than many other vegetable oils, so it is best to use olive oil in low- to moderate-heat cooking such as light sautéing.

According to Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian, canola oil is a good choice for a cooking oil because it has less saturated fat than any other cooking oil. It is also a good source of monounsaturated fat. In 2006, the FDA began allowing canola oil manufacturers to market their oil with claims that it can reduce the risk of heart disease. In fact, the FDA recommends consuming 1.5 tablespoons of canola oil a day as a replacement for products high in saturated fat, such as butter or lard. According to the Canola Council, canola oil has a relatively high smoke point--around 430 degrees F--so it can be used for high-heat cooking like deep frying and baking.

Soybean oil is a common vegetable oil and is widely used in commercial food preparation. According to the Mayo Clinic, soybean oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help prevent heart attacks and high blood pressure. Unfortunately, many food manufacturers are hydrogenating soybean oil to make it more stable for use in packaged and processed foods. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil contains trans fat, an unhealthy fat that can contribute to heart disease. However, non-hydrogenated soybean oil can be a healthy cooking option, particularly for baking or frying.

Sunflower oil is slightly less common than olive, canola or soybean oils, but it is another healthy choice. According to the National Sunflower Association (NSA), sunflower oil contains more vitamin E than any other cooking oil. Like the other healthy oils, it has relatively low amounts of saturated fat. Linoleic sunflower oil can be used for light sautéing. High oleic sunflower oil, which is more stable at high heats, can be used for deep frying.

Safflower oil is very similar to sunflower oil. According to Dr. Bill Sears at the University of California-Irvine, safflower oil is a good source of vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids, and it is also low in saturated fat like the other healthy cooking oils on this list. Unlike soybean or canola oils, safflower oil does not contain omega-3 fatty acids. High oleic safflower oil may be used for a range of cooking applications, including deep frying, sautéing and baking.