A kitchen is never complete without cooking oil – we all use it for frying, baking, and as a salad dressing, to name a few. Thankfully for ethical and environmentally minded eaters, all mainstream oils are plant-derived products and completely vegan. So whether you’re a vegan or not, it’s sure important to know which animal-free cooking oil works best. Here is a rundown of the pros and cons of the healthiest vegan oils in the market.
Extra virgin olive oil
If you want to buy olive oil, it has to be the extra virgin version. Extra virgin means that it is the oil that comes out from the first extraction and is thus unrefined.
It is high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, both of which are deemed as healthy. Its superior flavour is impaired by heat and is not recommended for deep frying because it has a low smoke point.
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It also has to be kept away from sunlight and should be in a dark bottle. It’s ideal for baking and dressing. You get 119 calories from consuming 1 tablespoon of it. Its global scale production carbon footprint can also offset the greenhouse gas emissions of a city the size of Hong Kong.
Avocado oil
The surprising thing is that avocado oil gives you almost the same amount of calories as extra virgin olive oil, 120 calories from 1 tablespoon. But it has a high smoke point and it has almost no flavour, both properties make it ideal for frying and cooking.
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It has one of the highest monounsaturated fat content and vitamin E. The cons are that unrefined avocado oil is expensive and it has a carbon footprint three times the size of a large cappuccino.
Coconut oil
Most stable at high heat, which means it’s good for frying, it gives around 117 calories per tablespoon, coconut oil is high in saturated fat content. Dr Qi Sun from the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health says, “If you want to lower your risk of heart disease, coconut oil is not a good choice.”
Though coconut oil is used in baking to replace butter and coconut milk is an important ingredient in Thai and Indian cuisine, this is not something that should be consumed every day.
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Rice bran oil
Also containing about 120 calories per tablespoon, rice bran oil has been making waves in the consumer market. With a high smoke point and a delicate flavour, this oil is packed with phytoceuticals like oryzanol, which is known to decrease early atherosclerosis.
It also helps significantly in reducing cholesterol absorption better than coconut, canola, corn and peanut oil. It has an ideal fatty acid composition, high antioxidant content and its low absorption in prepared food are a few of the reasons why it's better than the other oils.
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