The price of cooking oil has skyrocketed by more than 20%. Which type of cooking oil should we buy for our home that is cheap and healthy?

Last weekend, the oil price increase once again became a hot topic on Weibo, but this time the price increase was not for gasoline, but for cooking oil.

What oil do you use at home now? Have you felt the increase in oil prices?

We interviewed friends who cook frequently, and they said that there are indeed no discounts on oil in supermarkets. As for whether to switch to cheaper oil, while considering their family's taste habits, they are also worried about whether the cheap oil is healthy.

So, what are the differences between different oils? Are cheaper oils unhealthy?

Today we will take a look at the oil you are eating now! Do you want to change it?

01

Which one is more delicious? Which one is healthier?

For ordinary people like me, the difference between cooking oil is nothing more than whether it is fragrant or not.

In fact, edible oils are all made up of fat, and what determines whether they are fragrant or not is the type of fat and the special aromatic substances in the oil.

Fats can be divided into two categories: saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are further divided into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

Saturated fat

Foods that taste delicious are usually saturated fats, which are mainly found in animal oils, such as lard and butter.

Saturated fat is considered to be harmful to cardiovascular health, and the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016) also recommends that we consume less saturated fat. The recommended daily intake of saturated fat for an adult of standard weight is about 20 grams.

Screenshot of "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016)"

Unsaturated fats

In comparison, unsaturated fat is the "three good students" among fats. It is recognized as a "healthy oil" that helps the baby's growth and development and protects the cardiovascular system. It is mainly found in fish, shrimp and shellfish, vegetable oils, and nuts.

Unsaturated fats are composed of unsaturated fatty acids and triglycerides. There are more detailed classifications. In order to facilitate your understanding, we have drawn a picture -

To be honest, having so many different types of fat is really complicated.

All you have to remember is that we usually eat more saturated fat and linoleic acid, so you can choose cooking oil that is rich in monounsaturated fat and α-linolenic acid.

Generally, the nutritional information of cooking oil will indicate the content of saturated fat, monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. You can take a look at the nutritional information when purchasing.

Screenshot of the nutritional composition table of edible oil

If you want to eat more α-linolenic acid, you can try flaxseed oil and perilla seed oil. Rapeseed oil is also good.

02

How to choose specifically?

I have said a lot before, and I believe what everyone is most concerned about is how to choose a specific type of cooking oil.

See cooking method

When choosing oil, the first thing to consider is the cooking method.

Friends who have cooking experience know that some oils have a low smoke point. Even before the oil temperature is high enough, the smoke is already very strong, and you can turn yourself into a human range hood in a matter of minutes...

Long-term inhalation of oil fumes may cause harm to our bodies due to the harmful substances in them, and may even pose a risk of cancer.

In order to help friends inhale less fumes and use oil reasonably in the kitchen, the thoughtful Dad Review can help you match the cooking method with the appropriate oil——

At this point, serious friends may ask: We usually eat soybean oil/corn oil/sunflower oil at home, why are they not included in this table?

We consume too much of these three types of oil in our daily lives and when dining out. Among them, the content of linoleic acid is relatively high, so it is recommended that you change them and try other types of oil.

Now that we have selected the types of oil based on commonly used cooking methods, let’s take a look at how to choose a more fragrant oil.

The most brainwashing edible oil advertisement that the editor sister saw when she was a child was this (revealing her age again)——

Look at the craftsmanship

At present, the most common edible oil production processes on the market are "extraction method" and "pressing method", which can be seen on the edible oil labels.

The main difference between the two methods is that

As long as the edible oil is produced by a regular manufacturer and meets national standards, it is safe regardless of the process used.

If you want it to taste more fragrant, choose the squeezed one; if you want to save some money, buy the soaked one.

Look at the level

The quality grade of vegetable oil will be marked on the label, usually from grade one to grade four, but blended oil does not have this.

The higher the grade (the smaller the number), the more refined it is, the higher the smoke point, the clearer the color, but the lighter the flavor, such as grade one and grade two.

If you want a vegetable oil with a strong flavor, you can choose a lower grade, such as grade 3 rapeseed oil. However, due to its low smoke point, it is not suitable for high-temperature cooking (stir-frying, frying).

03

Precautions for eating oil

Once you have found your dream oil, don’t ignore these precautions:

1. Store away from light

Cooking oil is easily oxidized and rancid when exposed to light and high temperature, producing oily odor and harmful substances. Therefore, cooking oil is best stored in a cool, dark cupboard.

2. Small bottle

If there are few people in the family, large bottles of cooking oil will easily oxidize after a long time, and if they are taken out frequently, they will be easily exposed to light and high temperature of the stove.

It would be better to buy small bottles of oil at this time, or you can divide large barrels of oil into small bottles.

3. Don’t leave it next to the stove after use

When the stove is on, the temperature around it is also very high. After pouring the oil, put the oil bottle back to its original place as soon as possible.

4. Hot pan with cold oil

Many people (especially the older generation) are accustomed to waiting until the oil in the pan smokes before adding the ingredients.

This is because the oil used to have more impurities and a low smoke point of only about 130°C, while the temperature for cooking is generally 160-180°C. Only when the oil smokes does it mean the oil temperature is high enough.

However, today's cooking oils have fewer impurities and a smoke point of over 200°C. By the time the oil is hot enough to smoke, the temperature is already very high.

The higher the oil temperature, the more smoke there is, the more harmful substances the smoke produces, and it is easy to burn food and destroy the nutrients in the food.

Therefore, it is healthier to cook with a hot pan and cold oil.

5. Avoid crude oil extraction

Homemade oil not only contains many impurities and is of poor quality, but also may be contaminated by Aspergillus flavus, which may produce carcinogenic aflatoxin.

6. Control your intake

The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents recommends that adults use between 25 and 30 grams of cooking oil per day, which is roughly two and a half to three spoonfuls of a white porcelain spoon.

Have you learned how to choose cooking oil this time?

Forward this post to your loving family and eat healthy food with your family.

@Mom and Dad, it’s time to change the oil in our house!

Editor | Tang Tang

Design | Damao

References:

[1]https://www.who.int/news/item/12-01-2021-who-urges-governments-to-promote-healthy-food-in-public-facilities

[2] Does cooking taste better when the oil is hotter? Chinese Nutrition Society https://www.cnsoc.org/knowledge/711810203.html

Source: Dad Review