Cooking oil is expensive, does that mean we should compromise our health?

Have you recently visited a food store and just be shocked upon seeing the prices of cooking oil? Why is cooking oil so expensive? Once upon a time we would walk through the cooking oil section of the grocery store and be a little overwhelmed with dozens of choices. It can be difficult to choose which oil will have the best health benefits or fit your food prep needs but now we also must consider the prices? According to the Business Maverick news, shortage of cooking oil looms as biofuels gains global appeal. A global biofuel boom is set to drive a shortage vegetable oil used for cooking. War and extreme weather are one of the reasons that limits the vegetable oil supplies (Bloomberg, 2023)

• This review focuses on the different types of fats and its function on the body.

• Also ill provide some alternatives or swaps for certain food or cooking methods.

We all need some small amount of fats and oils in our diet for a healthy functioning. It’s getting the right balance of different types of fats that will help keep your cholesterol, triglycerides levels and your heart healthy. Even if the price of the cooking oil is high this doesn’t mean we should compromise our health. The type of fats is just as important for health as the total amount to choose healthier unsaturated fats.

Why do we need to eat some fats???

For energy

To absorb some vitamins from food, these are the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K

For a healthy immune system

For our brains to function

Types of fats

There are two main types of fat-saturated and unsaturated.

Saturated fats:

Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature. Most foods high in saturated fats come from animals, as well as coconut products. Too much saturated fat will raise bad (LDL) cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Emerging evidence suggest that saturated fats might affect your health differently depending on food sources of saturated fat. Cut down on foods high in saturated fat and replaced them with foods higher in unsaturated fat.

· Food high in saturated fat include fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, butter, hard margarine, coconut oil, palm oil, lard, and ghee.

Unsaturated fats:

Unsaturated fats are more heart healthy. There are different types of unsaturated fat known as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and they do different jobs in the body. It’s good to eat a range of foods so that you get both.

• Monounsaturated fats have been shown to improve blood cholesterol levels. They’re found in olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, non-hydrogenated, margarine, avocados, some nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, pecans, and hazelnuts)

Polyunsaturated can lower bad cholesterol levels, LDL cholesterol.

• One type is omega 3which can help prevent clotting of blood, reducing the risk of stroke and helps lower triglycerides a type of blood fat linked to heart disease.

• They are found in flaxseed, hemp, and foods that have fortified with omega-3s

Another type of polyunsaturated fat is omega 6, it helps lower LDL cholesterol but in large amounts it’s thought to also lower the good HDL cholesterol hence eat in moderation.

Omega-6 is found in safflower, sunflower, and corn oil, non-hydrogenated margarine, and nuts such as almonds, pecans, and sunflower seeds.

Trans fat:

Trans fats are made when unsaturated fats such as vegetable oils are heated to high temperatures during food processing. Trans-fat can increase your risk of heart disease by increasing your unhealthy LDL cholesterol and decreasing your healthy HDL cholesterol.

Trans fats are sometimes presents in pastries, cake, biscuits, crackers, and fried foods, takeaways and avoid these as much as possible.

Here is a list of swaps one can make.

1. Eat less or avoid:

• Butter, ghee, lard, goose fat, hard margarine, coconut oil and palm oil

Swap for:

• Oils made from vegetables and seeds such as olive, rapeseeds, sunflower, and soya oil.

• Fat spread made from these is also healthier.

2. Eat less or avoid:

• Fatty meat, and processed meat such as sausage, salmon, and canned meat.

Swap for:

• Lean meat, chicken or turkey with the skin removed.

• White fish and oily fish at least once a week

• Have meat free days and try dishes based on beans, tofu, nut, or soya meat alternatives

3. Eat less or avoid:

• Full fat dairy foods including milk, yoghurt, cream, and cheese.

Swap for:

• Lower fat milk such as semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, and calcium fortified alternatives for milk, low fat yoghurt, low fat cheese.

4. Eat less or avoid:

• Roasting and frying with butter, lard, other animals ‘fats, or coconut oil.

Swap for:

• Use small amounts of vegetable oils or try other cooking methods such as boiling, grilling, steaming

Fats and oil are very high in energy, so we need to keep an eye on how much we eat in total.

• Did you know about a third of your energy should come from fat. That’s about 70g to a woman and 90g for a man per day.

Focus on a healthy balanced diet of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, and protein from a variety of sources such as legumes, nuts, lower-fat dairy, and alternatives, lean meats, and fish.

• At the end of the day the choice is yours…

Thanks for reading!