Hello everyone. Today we will talk about food, and health, with a product that is consumed on a daily basis, and yet, often, not correctly: oil. Tell me … Do you know which oil to use for cooking, depending on WHAT you cook ? Which oil is better for frying? Which oil is to be consumed only cold? Do you know that it is important to vary the oils in order not to deprive our body of any essential trace element (I think in particular about the meditaranean regime, which only uses olive oil) ? Personally, before looking into the subject, the answer was: NO. I used only olive oil and for all purposes: salads, cooking, frying … But I realized that olive oil is not suitable for everything, on the one hand. And on the other hand, that although it is very healthy (and thus VERY good to consume), using only this one meant saying no to the benefits of other oils equally beneficial. I realized that it’s way better and recommended to alternate between the oils, or to mix them. Do you do that ? Let’s talk about it!
Which oil to use for cooking, depending on WHAT you cook?
Fat, our friend (and not the opposite!)
Before we start talking about oils … let’s talk about fat. Contrary to popular belief, fat is not an enemy! On the contrary, it ensures the good functioning of our body into thousands of daily chemical reactions, and depriving us of it is preventing our body from working well.
Everyone can learn how to consume good fats. And to try to vary the sources of fat that we consume to ensure that we enjoy all the good things it has to give us, namely essential fatty acids, vitamin E and DHA (Omega-3 of the brain, essential for the proper functioning of the brain but also the heart and the retina). By mixing them, alternating them, we make it possible to avoid deficiencies and to remain in full shape ! And unfortunately, the reality is that many people are deficient in these essential fatty acids because they are found mainly in oily fish like tuna or salmon, but we do not always eat enough of it.
So, friends, first of all, STOP the aprioris on fat. Fat is your friend, and you should never forget to eat fat at every meal. Indeed lipids should represent 40% of our daily calorie intake …
Convinced?
Which oil / which use ?
If some oils are suitable for cooking (and therefore can be heated) some can not … It is important to know how to distinguish the oils first to get the most of their properties, but also to avoid to intoxicate your body slowly.
Why ? Because the less fatty acids in oils are saturated, the less we can heat them! Extra virgin olive oil, for example, begins to produce toxic and harmful substances from 180 °. Ditto for sesame oils, walnuts, squash seeds, flax, not recommended at all for cooking!
The most important thing here is to clearly differentiate which oils to use for cold cooking / and hot cooking.
For cold cooking, ie salads, sauces or other cold preparations, prefer eg rapeseed oil (cold pressed or refined), olive oil (cold pressed or refined) or nut oil, sesame oil, wheat germ oil … (With a preference for sesame oil hummm what a delight).
For medium temperature cooking, for example steaming, simmering, you can also use rapeseed oil or olive oil but refined, not cold pressed! But you can also use sunflower oil, for example.
Finally, for roasts or fried dishes or hot food, use only sunflower oil HO (High Oleic) or Colsa HOLL oil (oleil High, Low Linolenic) commonly called frying oils. These ones are pressed from plants selected specifically for a higher heating temperature. So select some frying oils in your supermarket, and do not use your olive oil, for example !
Before writing this article, I was frying in olive oil without thinking of doing anything bad. I had no idea that it was good to vary the oils to vary the benefits for my body, and most importantly, I had never thought that the oils could be adapted to our way of life. Then I took a deep dive on the subject, and this made me understand a lot about oils, namely everything I just explained above. And now, I not only know how to use oils for different type of cookings, but I also vary the oils so I get everything my body needs.
And I understood that my olive oil, for me who loves it so much because of my Spanish – so meditarranean – origins, was good, certainly, but not only and not for everything !
So, babes ! I am happy to have shared this beautiful discovery with you and all the learning about the oils that I found out in my research. I sincerely hope you enjoyed this article and learned something about oils! Feel free to share what you have learned, or anything else you know, or even just a sweet word, in the comment! See you soon !
* And you, did you know how to consume oils properly ? *