Visit the cooking oil aisle of your local grocery store, and you will find a wide variety of oils from nuts, seeds, and vegetables, each with distinct flavors and cooking properties. Some oils can handle the heat when cooking better than others. Smoke point is the temperature at which oil starts to break down. In general, the best oils for high-temperature cooking (or those that have a high smoke point) are safflower, sunflower, peanut, soy, and canola oil.
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Plant oils are rich in healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. When used in place of saturated fats, these heart-healthy fats may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by improving blood fat levels and decreasing blood pressure and inflammation. Use plant oils instead of solid fats, such as butter, shortening, lard, and hard-stick margarine. Choose oils with less than 4 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon and no partially hydrogenated oils or trans fat.
Cooking oil nutrition facts chart
Want to learn more about cooking oils? Read “Four Best Oils for Cooking.”
