JAKARTA: Expert Shares 5 Tips That Can Help You Choose The Right Cooking Oil

JAKARTA: Cooking oils are an essential
part of our daily meals and choosing the right cooking oil can make a world of
difference to your health. Each oil has its own properties that serves
different purposes. Also, there have been many studies that correlate the fatty
acid content in oils with cholesterol levels, cardiovascular and skin health,
and fitness and wellness, which makes it important to choose cooking oil for a
healthy lifestyle and make a conscious choice while purchasing cooking oil.

Here are quick and simple tips to understand for
choosing the right cooking oil

1. Smoking point

The smoke point is the
temperature at which the solids in the oil begin to burn and denature. Even
though all oils smoke but every cooking oil has a different temperature
threshold based on its composition that determines the ideal cooking method
that particular oil should be used for. So, higher the smoking point, higher is
the suitability for frying food.

2. Consider the flavor of the oil

In-terms
of flavour matching, consider the function of the oil in your recipe. For
lubricant in the cooking process, go for oil that is light in flavour, whereas
if the flavour of the oil is to play a role in the dish opt for one with a
distinguished. Hence, choose wisely, and your oil will enhance your dish,
instead of adding a bizarre flavouring element.

3. Check on nutritional considerations

Cooking
oil should be enriched with vitamins such as A, E and D which are an essential
part of our diet. Vitamin A is key for good vision, healthy immune and growth.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects body tissue damaged caused by free
radicals. Vitamin D is essential for immunity and strong bones. All of these
nutrients are vital when opting for the right cooking oil.

4. The fat content

Cooking
oil typically consists of 3 types of Fatty Acids: Monounsaturated Fatty Acid
(MUFA), Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) and Saturated Fatty Acid (SFA).
Saturated fats are highly stable that resists oxidation while both
polyunsaturated and monounsaturated helps in preventing diseases like high
cholesterol and heart attack. So, marking a balance should be considered
between these acids and as with any fat, we should use and consume it
sparingly.

5. The price preference

As with
most things in life, you get what you pay for. Price simply being a good
indicator of quality. And yes, quality cooking oils cost more because they are
more difficult to produce. Well, the harder the production of the oil, the more
expensive they cost on the shelf. So, to note it is always better to buy
quality oil in small quantities, rather than a lot of a cheap oil in bulk.

Over to
you:

Thus,
balancing your flavour choice with cooking method, checking up the smoking
point, nutritional considerations and price, and there will always be a right
oil selection for you.

(Nmami
Agarwal is a Nutritionist at NmamiLife)