Is coconut oil the BEST for cooking with? Here is a quick read to help you decide.
Oils are essential for frying, roasting and other cooking methods, but knowing which type is healthiest for which dish can be a challenge.
Popular options include avocado oil, olive oil, rapeseed oil (aka Canola), sunflower oil and of course, from the good old Tree of Life – coconut oil.
In recent years, coconut oil has become one of the trendiest oils to cook with thanks to a host of health-conscious fans of this super-oil and a better understanding of the science behind coconut oil, once demonised across the world as an oil that will clog your arteries.
Coconut Oil was once a pricey product that was only found in speciality stores. Now days it is now sold in every supermarket, greengrocer and natural food stores across the world, such is the popularity it has gained.
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Predominantly a saturated fat, coconut oil is made up of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), shown to convert to energy in the body very quickly. Coconut Oil is high in the MCT Fatty Acid known as Lauric Acid which is known to kill bacteria, fungi and viruses.
What’s more, coconut oil is great for cooking with at high temperatures, such as frying or roasting. Because coconut oil is mainly composed of saturated fats, it does not spoil at high temperatures, while still providing a healthier plant-based alternative to butter and other animal fats like lard or Ghee.
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are heat stable, thanks to their molecular structure, and are not subject to oxidation like unsaturated fats are. It is this stability that prevents saturated fats from going rancid to quickly.
When purchasing cheap cooking oils such as rapeseed oil (aka Canola Oil) and oils sold as “vegetable oil” remember they may not be your best choice to cook with because they are made up primarily of polyunsaturated fats. Although we have been led to believe that these oils are healthier alternatives to saturated fats, this is not always the case. When these oils are heated to high temperatures, they can easily become oxidised and go rancid, with a potentially damaging effect in the body.
Other healthy cooking oil options include Cocavo’s blended coconut/avocado oils, Extra Virgin Avocado Oil, Sizzle & Drizzle Oil and of course, as a salad oil only, you can’t go past Cocavo’s Golden Hemp Seed Oil.
Our message is this “Don’t Fear Healthy Fats. By choosing wisely, the consumption of Healthy Fats will Add More Health to your Meals.
