Tip Of the Week: Healthy Cooking

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Tip 3: Keep fats to a minimum

We often think of fats as unhealthy but you need fat in your diet. Fats in your diet give you energy and also help the body absorb vitamins.
 Our body needs a limited amount of certain kinds of fats but all fats are not equal when it comes to nutritional value. Saturated fats and unsaturated fats have different effects on our blood vessels and cholesterol levels, whereas synthetic trans fat has no nutritional value. Cholesterol, often grouped with fats, is produced by our body as well as consumed in foods. At a minimum, fats should make up 15% of most adult diets; women of reproductive age need at least 20% according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Contrariwise, fat contains more than twice as many calories as carbohydrates or protein, and consuming too many high-fat foods will add excess calories and likely lead to weight gain. Excess weight increases the risk of you developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes or other health problems. Excess weight can also make it harder to control these diseases if you already have them. 

It’s important to know which type of oil or fat is best as well amount suited to make your cooking healthy. Below are some points to keep in mind.

Preparing and cooking with oils

1.      Choose reduced-fat dairy products and lean meats and limit processed foods to avoid hidden fats. Nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, soy and fish are all healthier options because they include the essential long-chain fatty acids and these fats are accompanied by other good nutrients. 

2.      If you add fats when cooking, keep them to a minimum and use monounsaturated oils such as olive oil and canola oil.

3.      Use liquid vegetable oils or non-fat cooking sprays whenever possible.

4.      Whether cooking or making dressings, use the oils that are lowest in cholesterol, saturated fats, and trans fats – such as olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, corn oil, sunflower oil and safflower oil – but use them sparingly, because they contain 120 calories per tablespoon.

5.      Avoid palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil.  Although they are vegetable oils and have no cholesterol, they are high in saturated fats.