Whether crude oil or cooking oil, less is better. While reducing crude oil consumption results in a healthier environment, reducing cooking oil consumption results in a healthier you. As care starts from home, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss cooking oil concerns and leave crude oil to the leaders for now. I am not a doctor or dietitian or nutritionist, who usually gives advice that, in most cases, is easier to say than to follow. I have an even more important position as head chef for my family and a large part of my family’s health is my responsibility.
As much as it is said that fat is not good for you, some fats are essential for the body. It is also said that to metabolize (burn) fat, you need fat. ‘Good’ fats are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, while ‘bad’ fats are saturated and trans fats. While one should always take fats in moderation, fats are best avoided. What this means for your shopping basket is that oils such as olive oil, canola (also marketed as rapeseed oil in the UK), peanut oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil and Flax seed oil is considered a healthier option than other oils, mainly because of its high content of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.
However, olive oil is quite expensive and for this reason. Canola is sometimes thought of as the poor man’s olive oil. It should be noted that oil properties change with temperature and good ones at room temperature produce harmful toxins when heated. Olive oil for this reason is not considered very good for high temperature cooking. I use canola for normal cooking and once tried deep frying but the food smelled more fishy. Then I realized that canola is also not considered suitable for frying. My choice is canola for normal cooking and peanut oil for frying. If you are allergic to nuts, sunflower oil is also a good option. Coconut oil is generally considered unhealthy due to its high saturated fat content, but this is a matter of debate. Having understood which oil is best, here are some daily tips I follow to reduce oil intake.
1. Instead of pouring from a bottle, use a spoon to tell how much you’re adding. When I first started doing this, I found that I started to feel uncomfortable whenever I exceeded two teaspoons, whereas before measuring I would happily add that amount.
2. Understand why oil is needed. Is it just for tempering or for sautéing or frying? The amount of oil and cooking temperature varies depending on why you need the oil. Some say that sautéing should be done near the smoke point of the oil, but we know that heating the oil too much is not very good for your health. Some dishes, like Indian pickles, are quite dependent on oil and only need a large amount, but there are other dishes where oil is used to ‘enhance’ flavor and texture and can be compromised.
3. Don’t anticipate how much oil will be needed to cook a dish, rather add oil in stages. I have found that sometimes Spanish aubergines cook easily with very little oil, while other times I need to add a lot of oil to make them edible. Let go.
4. Try to allow food to cook in its own moisture. Add a little salt so that the vegetables release their water and cook in it. Alternatively, spray water frequently instead of adding oil. For some dishes, I spray tamarind water so that it enhances the flavor of the dish and also reduces the oil.
5. I am not a saint and I am not saying that I can always resist French fries and other fried dishes. One should keep the consumption of these dishes occasional and minimal. Also, on days when you indulge, try to reduce your fat intake at other meals to maintain balance in your diet.
As I said, I am the head chef and practitioner of all of the above tips. I try to take some time to share my recipes (including low fat, healthy, vegan and delicious recipes) on my food blog. Eat healthy and enjoy life!