All manufacturers claim their own cooking oil is the best! Canola oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, butter, margarine and even virgin coconut oil each has its supporters. Before we conclude the best cooking oil(s), let’s look at the essential – Fats 101. We classified the following fats as “good fats” and “bad fats” based on their heart-smart values: their ability to raise or lower total and LDL cholesterol.

The Bad Fats

The Good Fats

Therefore, based on the above classification, the “ideal” cooking oil should contain higher amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and with minimal or no saturated fats and trans fats.

The Verdict? As long as you’re using fats and oils sparingly in your cooking and preparation, it would be fine to use any one of the following “good” oils. All of the following oils are low in saturated fats and trans fats. Some have high concentration of monounsaturated fats such as olive oil. Choose corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, soy oil or canola oil if you wish to fry foods as these oils have higher smoke point. It is best not to fry with olive oil as its smoke point is only about 190C/375F.

Good Cooking Oils:

• canola oil
• flax seed oil
• peanut oil
• olive oil
• non-hydrogenated soft margarine
• safflower oil
• sunflower oil
• corn oil

The following “bad” oils contain high percentage of trans fat or saturated fats. Some, such as coconut oil, even contain more saturated fats than animal products!

Bad Cooking Oils:

• Vegetable shortening
• Hard margarine
• Butter
• Palm oil
• Palm kernel oil
• Coconut oil