About Cooking Oils

There are various types of cooking oils that you can find in the supermarket. All oils are a combination of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fats.

• Polyunsaturated fats and Monounsaturated fats help lower total cholesterol and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. These two fats are considered good fats.

• Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). These are considered bad fats.

Oils rich in Polyunsaturated Fats *	Oils rich in Monounsaturated Fats	Oils rich in Saturated Fats
Flaxseed Oil	Olive Oil (Extra Virgin Olive Oil is for salad; Light Olive oil is for sauteing)	Coconut Oil
Grapeseeds Oil	Avocado Oil	Palm Oil/ Palm Olein
Safflower Oil	Peanut Oil	Palm Kernel
Sesame Oil	Rice Bran Oil	"Vegetable Oil" (may be a blend that includes palm oils)
Sunflower Oil	Canola
Wheatgerm Oil	Almond Oil

*Oils rich in Polyunsaturated are less suitable for high heat and sustained use.

All oils have various smoke points. Smoke point is the point at which the oil begins to smoke. When the oil is heated higher than its smoke point, the chemical composition changes and makes the dish have an unpleasant flavour. Higher smoke point is a desirable characteristic when it comes to frying.

	High Smoke Point	Low Smoke Point
Examples of Oils	Refined oils such as canola, grapeseed and peanut	Butter, Sesame Oil, Sunflower Oil, Flaxseed Oil, etc. Oils rich in Polyunsaturated fats.
Suitability	Suits Frying	Suits light sauteing and stir fries rather than frying

Oils for Salads

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Almond Oil

• Avocado Oil

• Flaxseed Oil

• Sesame Oil
  

Things to take note of

• When you use high temperature cooking methods such as frying and deep-frying, it can cause the oil to break down and produce chemicals such as peroxides, acrylamides and aldehydes which are potentially harmful to the body.

• All oils will deteriorate over time with exposure to light, heat and air. To get the most out of the oil that you chose, take note of the following:

  • Avoid using oils high in saturated fat as much as possible.

  • Avoid buying oil in bulk. Keep an eye on the 'use by' date and use it within 12 months.

  • Store oils in a cool, dark place. Where possible, oils should be in a dark bottle

  • Use the right oils for higher heat cooking. Avoid Oils rich in Polyunsaturated fats when frying

  • Avoid overheating the oil when cooking. Avoid reaching the smoke point.

  • Avoid reusing heated oils. These oils tend to darken, and it develops off-flavours and becomes rancid.

  • Avoid deep frying food.

Use "vegetable oils" sparingly. Vegetables Oils tend to include palm oils/palm olein. We recommend choosing the right oils and taking good care of the oils to prevent from deteriorating.