How to Choose Your Oil

The Mediterranean Diet has made olive oil super-famous in the world of fat, and most people assume that olive oil far surpasses all other types of oils in terms of health. However, there some problems that people may come across when limiting their intake to only olive oil, such as missing out on the benefits of other healthy oils, using the appropriate oil for the type of cooking, and using far too much oil.


All oils are very high in fat and calories, containing around 14 grams of fat and 100 calories per tablespoon. So, keep that in mind when loading on the salad dressing or coating the pan for sauteing. Adults, on average, only need 5-7 teaspoons (that's about 2 tablespoons) of oil each day, which includes naturally occurring oils in food sources (nuts, peanut butter, salmon, olive oil, butter, etc). 


Here is a chart from the Canola Oil Council showing the makeup of the different fats in various oils:

Source: www.canola-council.com

Below is information from the USDA's My Plate website so you can count how many teaspoons of oil you consume each day:

Daily allowance*
Children		2-3 years old		3 teaspoons
		4-8 years old		4 teaspoons
Girls		9-13 years old		5 teaspoons
		14-18 years old		5 teaspoons
Boys		9-13 years old		5 teaspoons
		14-18 years old		6 teaspoons
Women		19-30 years old		6 teaspoons
		31-50 years old		5 teaspoons
		51+ years old		5 teaspoons
Men		19-30 years old		7 teaspoons
		31-50 years old		6 teaspoons
		51+ years old		6 teaspoons

*These amounts are appropriate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity, beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs.
Source: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/oils-allowance.html


Here is how you can count the oils that you in a day. Remember, 1 oz of almonds is about 22, 3 tbsp of peanuts counts as an ounce, and a good rule of thumb is that one ounce of nuts usually fits in a 1/4 cup measure.


How do I count the oils I eat?

The chart gives a quick guide to the amount of oils in some common foods: 

		Amount of food		Amount of oil		Calories from oil		Total calories
				Teaspoons /grams		Approximate calories		Approximate calories
Oils:
Vegetable oils (such as canola, corn, cottonseed, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower)		1 Tbsp		3 tsp/14 g		120		120
Foods rich in oils:
Margarine, soft (trans fat free)		1 Tbsp		2 ½ tsp/11 g		100		100
Mayonnaise		1 Tbsp		2 ½ tsp/11 g		100		100
Mayonnaise-type salad dressing		1 Tbsp		1 tsp/5 g		45		55
Italian dressing		2 Tbsp		2 tsp/8 g		75		85
Thousand Island dressing		2 Tbsp		2 ½ tsp/11 g		100		120
Olives*, ripe, canned		4 large		½ tsp/ 2 g		15		20
Avocado*		½ med		3 tsp/15 g		130		160
Peanut butter*		2 T		4 tsp/ 16 g		140		190
Peanuts, dry roasted*		1 oz		3 tsp/14 g		120		165
Mixed nuts, dry roasted*		1 oz		3 tsp/15 g		130		170
Cashews, dry roasted*		1 oz		3 tsp/13 g		115		165
Almonds, dry roasted*		1 oz		3 tsp/15 g		130		170
Hazelnuts*		1 oz		4 tsp/18 g		160		185
Sunflower seeds*		1 oz		3 tsp/14 g		120		165

*Avocados and olives are part of the Vegetable Group; nuts and seeds are part of the Protein
Foods Group. These foods are also high in oils. Soft margarine, mayonnaise, and salad
dressings are mainly oil and are not considered to be part of any food group. 
SOURCE: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/oils-count.html




As you can see from the chart above, most people do not need to be adding extra oils to their foods if you consume nuts, seeds, and fatty fish or other foods that contain fat regularly.


Below I list the health and cooking benefits of using certain oils as well as the smoke points, which is the temperature the oil can be heated to until it begins burning and tasting poor:


OLIVE: Very high in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants which can help ward against heart disease and cancers and improve cholesterol levels. Choose Extra Virgin (EVOO) to get the highest level of antioxidants. Smoke point of EVOO= 406° F


AVOCADO: Avocado oil works great as a salad dressing and is a great oil to use for pan frying since it has a smoke point of 520° F.


CANOLA: Canola oil is very high in mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids, omega-3's and contains the lowest level of saturated fat among all the oils. Canola oil has a smoke point of 400° F so can be used in cooking applications similar to EVOO.


SESAME: Sesame oil should only be used as a condiment, as it has a very strong flavor. Add to finished cooked products, in sauces, or for foods cooked at a low temperature (smoke point= 350° F). Sesame oil contains lignans that may lower cholesterol levels and help keep the liver healthy.


PEANUT: Peanut oil is high in mono- and poly-unsaturated fats and has shown to be just as effective in protecting against heart disease as olive oil. Furthermore, peanut oil contains resveratrol (the antioxidant found in red wine) that may protect reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Refined peanut oil has a smoke point around 450° F which makes it good for frying and roasting.


COCONUT: The research on coconut oil is still inconclusive. Yes, coconut oil is high in saturated fat, however, those saturated fats are mostly of the Medium Chain Triglyceride (MCT) variety which seem not to have the same effect on blood lipid levels and health as regular long chain triglycerides. To date, the American Heart Association and 2010 Dietary Guidelines still recommend keeping coconut oil limited to <7-10% of total calories, which is the same for all saturated fats. There haven't been enough reputable studies done on coconut oil to recommend a higher consumption, so don't believe everything you read.


FISH: Fish oil is extremely beneficial because it contains two omega-3 fatty acids called EPA and DHA, that your body needs to survive but can not make from scratch on its own. EPA and DHA can be made from another omega-3, ALA, which is found in flaxseed and other sources, but the conversion is not very efficient. DHA and EPA are anti-inflammatory and involved in brain, eye, and heart health. Fish oil is beneficial for heart health because it lowers triglycerides and improves blood cholesterol levels to an extent, as well as being anti-inflammatory. However, fish oil thins the blood so it is not recommended for those on Coumadin or other blood thinners. Studies on fish oil show that it helps with memory, improving mood, and is integral in hair and skin health. 


Be sure to keep all oils refrigerated, as they can go rancid due to oxidation. Obviously, oils with highers levels of antioxidants (such as Vitamin E) won't become rancid as quickly as others without. 


So, my recommendations are to try to get most of your oils from natural food sources (nuts, seeds, AVOCADOS!, fatty fish, etc), and use some of the oils that are healthier mentioned above (canola, peanut, olive, avocado). Just be sure to use oils sparingly as each tablespoon contributes 100 calories to your diet... even though they are "healthy" calories ;-)


References:
RD411, "Oils: Choosing the Right One."
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/oils-count.html
www.canola-council.com