 | Laura Sansgaard
is a registered, licensed dietitian. She has worked at Via Christi Regional Medical Center since 1988. Via Christi is a state-of-the-art tertiary care facility with over 1500 licensed beds. It is part of Via Christi Health System, a not-for-profit, Catholic health system sponsored by the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wichita.
Laura is a member of the American Dietetic Association. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Food and Nutrition/
Dietetics from Iowa State University. You may reach Laura by e-mail at laura_sansgaard@via-christi.org, or by phone at (316) 268-7137. |
Diet & Nutrition
2002-05-01 15:03:00
Cooking with different oils
: Is there any type of 'don't do' list for using fats to cook with? For example, are there some dishes you should never use, like olive oil, butter, margarine, or shortening?
ANSWER: There are all types of fats people use for cooking, from peanut and safflower oil to vegetable oil and butter. How do you know which one to use for a specific dish? When I'm deciding on the type of fat I'm going to use for a particular dish, I consider primarily these 3 factors: Flavor Temperature Health effects First, consider whether or not you want the fat to impart a distinct flavor to the dish. If not, you'll probably want to choose a bland, or neutral-flavored fat, such as canola, soybean, corn, or light olive oil.I think the following explanation from the http://www.epicurious.com/ website is a helpful clarification of what the term "light" signifies in reference to olive oil. ". . . because of an extremely fine filtration process - this olive oil is lighter in both color and fragrance, and has little of the classic olive-oil flavor. It's this rather nondescript flavor that makes 'light' olive oil perfect for baking and cooking where regular olive oil's obvious essence might be undesirable." If you do want the oil to impart a distinct flavor, look for a minimally refined oil extracted from a source which has a flavor complementary to the other ingredients in the dish. For example, although I really like a good-quality extra virgin olive oil on pasta, it does not appeal to me as an ingredient in pancakes paired with maple syrup. When using a new oil, I usually taste a little from a spoon, by itself, to familiarize myself with the flavor. Because of their strong flavor, you may want to use some of the more robust oils sparingly, as a flavor accent, or mixed with other, lighter-flavored oils. Examples of strongly flavored oils include dark sesame oil and pumpkin seed oil. If you'll be applying intense heat to a dish (as with sauteing or stir-frying), it's a good idea to consider the smoke point of an oil, as well as its flavor. "Smoke point" indicates "the stage at which heated fat begins to emit smoke and acrid odors, and impart an unpleasant flavor to foods," (definition from http://www.epicurious.com/). Oils with high smoke points include peanut, corn, sesame, soybean, grape seed, and safflower. Because of its lower smoke point, extra virgin olive oil is not well-suited to high-heat cooking. Light olive oil, on the other hand, has a higher smoke point than extra virgin olive oil, and can withstand higher heat. Finally, I think about the potential health effects of the fat I'll be using. Because diets high in saturated fats have been associated with a greater risk for developing heart disease and other health problems (such as strokes and certain types of cancer), I tend to shy away from them. Fats commonly used in cooking which are high in saturated fat include butter, margarine and shortening. An easy rule of thumb is that if it's solid at room temperature, it's probably not the best choice healthwise. On the other hand, research suggests that including moderate amounts of unsaturated fats in the diet may offer potential health benefits. You can easily recognize cooking fats which are high in unsaturated fat because they are liquid at room temperature. I recommend choosing liquid vegetable oils for cooking whenever possible. Here are a couple of website addresses with further information comparing different cooking fats and their uses: http://www.epicurious.com/ (select the "Food Dictionary" feature under the "Learn" section; there's information under the "fats and oils" listing, as well as listings for specific types of fats, such as "olive oil") http://www.diabetes.org/ /main/community/forecast/page25.jsp
