Cooking oils can be a hidden source of some very damaging ingredients for both your cholesterol levels and health of your heart. You need to look at the contents for each one and watch out for those oils containing high levels of trans fatty acids.
Canola oil is frequently recommended by doctors who say it helps to lower your risk of heart disease. As it is low in saturated fats, and fairly high in mono-unsaturated fat, it offers a good fatty acid combination in comparison to some of the other oils.
Canola oil can be used to sauté foods, and also to marinate them. In addition, it can also be used as low temperature oil for stir-frying. As it has an extremely mild flavor, canola oil is good for well-seasoned foods, and won't get in the way of any of the wonderful flavors you have added to the meals you've worked so hard to prepare.
Olive oil is another very good oil for your everyday healthy eating. It is rich in monounsaturated fat, and antioxidants, and helps lower your cholesterol level, as well as reducing the risk of cancer. It is great to use in cooking, but it is probably the healthiest when used unheated for salads and dipping sauces. When you do use it for cooking, you'll want to keep the heat down to a low or medium temperature, because it has a fairly low smoking point.
Butter has been used for centuries, and let's face it people, it tastes great, and lends its wonderful rich flavor to other foods. Butter is rich in fat-soluble vitamins like A, E, K and D. Because it is made from purely natural ingredients, you don't have to be concerned with it being artificially or chemically tampered with.
Butter is terrific when used in cooking and baking, and what is better than a pat of butter applied directly to a nice hot muffin or biscuit? Butter can be used to add richness to creamy sauces and marinades.
Margarine first came into being as a substitute for high fat butter, although when it was first developed it was high in trans fats, which studies now show will actually raise your bad cholesterol level. Margarine tastes good, is easy to spread, and can be used as a cooking oil. It has less fat than most oils and butter, as well as being a source of vitamin E.
A trip to your local supermarket will reveal a whole host of possibilities in cooking oils. Just look out for the ingredients label and make sure the contents are healthy.
