Avocado, Olive, Canola, Coconut, Safflower, Flax, and Walnut Oils…Which to Choose, When to Use, and What to Lose!

Don't you wish you had a trusted nutrition specialist you can rely on for answers to your nutritional questions? Well, you do...it’s me! I have been in the nutrition field for the past 20 years helping people live longer, healthier lives by fueling their bodies with beneficial foods! I will always provide you with the latest nutrition facts so you can feed yourself and your loved ones healthy delicious meals.

Today I will talk about popular edible oils -  which oils to use for cooking, and which to use on your salad or roasted veggies.

Avocado Oil is my favorite cooking oil because you can use it at a high temperature, and it does not spatter like olive oil. Avocado oil also has a high percentage of oleic acid, a heart healthy fat. It can also enhance the absorption of other nutrients and protect cells against free radical damage. Remember all oils have 120 calories per tablespoon so one tablespoon is sufficient for sautéing. (I usually spray the pan with a cooking spray first and then add a tablespoon of oil.)

Olive oil works well for baking, and sautéing at a lower temperature (up to about 350 degrees) or as a salad dressing. Olive oil is rich in Vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant and contains other antioxidant compounds that may have anti-inflammatory effects including lowering blood pressure and helping prevent LDL (bad) cholesterol from oxidizing.

Safflower oil is ideal for baking. Whenever a recipe calls for vegetable oil you can replace it with safflower oil. Safflower oil is low in saturated fat and contains a higher percentage of unsaturated fatty acids than vegetable oil. It also works well for marinades, sauces, and dips.

Coconut Oil is an oil I never recommend because it is high in saturated fat, a whopping 12 grams compared to avocado oil which has 2 grams of saturated fat. Saturated fat is what clogs up your arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Canola oil can be used for sautéing, grilling, baking, and stir-frying. Canola oil is very low in saturated fat, only .5 grams per tablespoon. It is high in the omega-3 ALA. It is important to get enough ALA in our diet because our bodies cannot make it. The disadvantage of canola oil is that it is highly refined, which can reduce the amount of nutrients it offers. It is also high in omega-6, and we get more than enough omega-6 in the standard American diet. Some studies show that a high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 can raise our risk of Alzheimer’s and heart disease, so I don’t use canola oil very often.

Flax oil and walnut oil should never be used for cooking because they have low smoke points. Reserve these oils for salad dressings.

I hope this helps you to choose the best oil for your next cooking endeavor. Send me an e-mail or a text to let me know your favorite oil and what you use it for!  Yours in health, Lisa

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING AVOCADO

Do you love avocados but are afraid they are too high in calories to eat every day? Here's a way to eat avocado without worrying about calories. Very simply - eat half an avocado. The average medium size avocado has about 284 calories, which means half an avocado is only 142 calories, and avocados have so many health benefits that I recommend eating ½ an avocado every day, if you enjoy them.

Did you know avocados are actually considered a fruit? So having ½ an avocado counts toward your daily fruit intake. A 7 oz. avocado has 4 grams of protein and 14 grams of fiber. (Most Americans do not get enough fiber so ½ an avocado helps in the fiber department as well.)

An avocado contains 22% of your daily Vit. C, 28% of your daily Vit. E, 42% of your daily copper, and 35% of your daily Vit. K. Half an avocado contains 10% of your daily potassium which helps counteract the high sodium levels in the standard American diet. Half an avocado also has 15% of your daily requirements for Vit. B6, a nutrient that helps suppress inflammation.

Avocados may help increase good cholesterol, HDL, and reduce lousy cholesterol, LDL Avocados are also an excellent source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Here are ways you can add avocado to your daily meals.

• Chop up half an avocado on your salad at lunch or add it to a Mediterranean bowl.
• Make avocado toast by mashing 1/2 an avocado and spreading it over toasted sour dough bread, or on a whole wheat English muffin. To add more flavor, sprinkle your avocado toast with Everything But the Bagel seasoning.
• Add sliced avocado on top of a black bean soup or a black bean quesadilla.
• Add avocado to your scrambled eggs.
• Use avocado in place of mayo combined with plain fat-free Greek yogurt in tuna salad or egg salad.
• Toss frozen avocado chunks into your next protein smoothie.
• Top your veggie burger or hamburger with avocado.
• Make a homemade guacamole.

There are so many ways to enjoy avocados. My favorite way is to split it in half and eat ½ with a little salt and pepper right out of the rind for a snack. Save the other half with the pit still in it facedown on a plate in the fridge to have with breakfast or lunch the next day. Saving it in the fridge in this way also helps prevent your avocado from turning all brown.

Two other tips: If your avocado is hard when you take it home, put it in a brown paper bag on your counter for a few days and it will ripen. If your avocado is starting to get soft and you can’t eat it for a few days stick it in the fridge to “keep it” a bit longer.

So, enjoy your avocado. Let me know how you incorporate avocados into your meals and snacks. I am always keen on learning new ways to add avocado to my daily diet.

Thinking of you! _Lisa