From peanut oil, olive oil to sunflower oil
If you are looking for a tasty oil for frying or to use as a dressing, you may be shocked by the huge range of oils in the store. From peanut oil to sunflower oil: there is plenty to choose from. What are the differences between all those culinary oils?
Oils are full of good, unsaturated fats and are fuel for your body. At the moment, it is the case with fats that unsaturated fats are healthier than saturated fats (Science is slowly but surely discovering health effects in saturated fats).
Unsaturated fats have a beneficial effect on the cholesterol level in your blood. They raise the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and they lower the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. If you eat unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats, you significantly reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
It is therefore better to use oils when baking than (cream) butter, which contains saturated fat. Liquid cooking and cooking fat is also fine.
Oils are therefore better than butter, but does it also make a difference which type of oil you choose? You have plenty of choice in the store. One type contains monounsaturated fats, the other type contains many polyunsaturated fats. It does not matter which type of unsaturated fats you use to counteract the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is true that some oils contain (much) more unsaturated fats than others. Exceptions are coconut oil and palm oil, which contain a lot of saturated fat.
In the list below you can see the differences between a number of common oils. You can immediately see the content of unsaturated fats.
peanut oil
This type of oil is extracted from peanuts and therefore tastes a bit like peanuts. You can bake and fry in it. Peanut oil is also suitable for use in dressings. Polyunsaturated fat content: 31 percent.
corn oil
Corn oil comes from the germs of corn kernels. You can also use this oil for baking and frying and as a dressing. Polyunsaturated fat content: 51 percent.
Olive oil
Olive oil is probably the most famous oil of the whole bunch. Olive oil is pressed from the flesh and kernels of the olive. You have different types of olive oil: from traditional to extra virgin. Traditional olive oil can be used for baking and frying. Extra virgin is ideal for dressings or over pasta. Olive oil mainly contains monounsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fat content: 8 percent.
sesame oil
Sesame seeds can be used to extract sesame oil, which is suitable for baking. You can also use dark sesame oil in your salad. Polyunsaturated fat content: 43 percent.
Salad oil
Salad oil is a mix of a number of other oils from this list. It is not a standalone oil.
Soya oil
Soybean oil, made from soybeans, can also be used for baking and as a dressing. However, you cannot store soybean oil for a long time (less than 12 weeks). Polyunsaturated fat content: 59 percent.
walnut oil
Walnuts are made from walnut oil. This oil is not suitable for baking or deep-frying, but it is suitable for your pasta or salad. Walnut oil also has a shelf life of up to 12 weeks. Polyunsaturated fat content: 70 percent.
sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is made from sunflower seeds. You can use sunflower oil for everything: for baking, roasting and for dressings. Polyunsaturated fat content: 63 percent.
