How to Be a Conscious Eater

17

HOW TO CHOOSE A COOKING OIL

W

alk into any grocery store and you’ll often find the

number of cooking oils overwhelming. Walnut and

peanut, soy and corn, avocado and grapeseed . . . what-

ever “vegetable” is in “vegetable oil” (usually soybeans, it turns

out). On top of all the flavors, who’s got a clue what an “expel-

ler” is, or why you’d want your oil to be pressed in one? How, I

wonder, does a virgin become extra virgin?

The bottom line is this: For health, versatility, and production

methods, olive oil is a great go-to for pretty much all your daily

cooking. Canola is a stellar backup act.

Taste and cost: The importance of these factors will likely vary

based on how often you’re using an oil and what those uses

are. Specialty oils like walnut and flaxseed might be superb

nutritionally, but they are tough to sustain financially if you’re

using them every day. Ditto for toasted sesame oil, whose

smoky richness is welcome at times but doesn’t jibe with every

dish. So, you’ll want a default cooking fat you can use on a reg-

ular basis, both for taste and for cost.

Nutrition profile: Focus on the type of fat, not the total. In prac-

tice, this means choosing plant oils over animal fats. What’s

best for your health happens to also be best for the planet.

Smoke point: Different fats and oils break down at different high

temperatures, releasing smoke and a bad smell into the air.

When that happens, no one within shouting range is a happy

camper. The rule of thumb on smoke points is that the more

62 how to be a Conscious Eater