According to most food pyramids, fats should be the least amount to be consumed. However, not all fats are the same. Certain fats are more beneficial for the body than others. Mufas or monosaturated fats and pufas polysaturated fats are the most ideal for health maintenance.
Saturated fats are the worse for the body and have been the main culprit in raising bad fats that carry cholesterol in the body. One example is lard, or pork fat. Saturated fat is a solid at room temperature due to it's straight molecular structure. You can find this fat in large quantities in pork, beef, and dark meats. These are also present in butter, cheese, whole milk, ice cream and egg yolks. Some plants such as coconut oil and palm oil have high levels of saturated fat.
Unsaturated fats come from both plants and animals and are the most beneficial in maintaining health. These have been found to garnish benefits such as lower cholesterol, preserve cellular structures and even promoting a flat belly in a proper diet program. The structure of these molecules provides a unique ability to be to help lower cholesterol and decrease LDL or bad fats in the blood.
The two healthy types are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which are derived from plants. Polyunsaturated fats come from vegetables, seeds or nuts such as sunflower, safflower, corn, soybean, cotton seed, and sesame seed oils. Monounsaturated fats are derived from seeds or nuts such as walnuts, pecans, almonds and peanuts. Olive and canola oils are liquid at room temperature and harbor vitamins and antioxidants as well.
However mufas and pufas become bad fats when these are processed by heat to produce a solid as in some margarines and shortenings. These are known as Trans Fatty Acids . Such fat can raise cholesterol level in the blood stream.
Certain oils are best used depending on flavor intensity and smoke point or the temperature at which it gives off smoke – which depends also on the age and purity of the oil.
Below are tables of the different fats available in the market today.
Resources:
1. Harvard School of Public Health. Hormel Foods.
2.Spectrum Oils.
3.The Culinary Institute of America (1996). The New Professional Chef, 6th edition, John Wiley & Sons
COOKING OILS (FATS)
This page was last updated: February 16, 2010
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Oil
Almond oil
Avocado oil
Hazelnut oil
Macadamia nut oil
Olive oil
Peanut Oil
Rice bran oil
Walnut oil
Description
Toasted almond flavor
Mild flavor
Delicate flavor
Yellow to green
Varies in weight and color
Pale yellow, subtle scent/flavor, used in asian cooking
Made by removing grain during process. Light, considered neutraceutical and considered as replacement for deep commercial frying
Medium nutty flavor, perishes easily
Best Purpose
Sauté or stir fry
Stir fry, searing
Salad dressing, marinades, baking
Cooking, dressings, sauté, sear, deep fry, stir fry, grill, broil, baking
Cooking, dressing sauté, pan fry, sear, deep fry, stir fry, grill, broil, baking
Frying, cooking dressings
Fry, sauté, dressings,
dipping, baking
Sauté, panfry, sear, deep fry, stir fry, grill, broil
Smoke Pt.
Fahrenheit/Celsius
420/216
520/271
430/221
390/199
Extra virgin 320/160
Virgin 420/216
Pomace 460/238
Extra light 468/242
450/232
490/254
400/204
MONOSATURATED FATS
POLYUNSATURATED FATS
Oil
Corn oil
Cottonseed oil
Grapeseed oil
Safflower oil
Sesame oil
Soybean oil
Sunflower oil
Vegetable oil
Description
Yellowish made from germ of corn kernel
Pale yellow made from seed of cotton
Light medium yellow from wine byproduct
Golden from seeds of safflower
Light middle eastern, asian pressed from toasted seeds
Heavy oil, bold flavor
Light odorless, flavorless
Mild
Best Purpose
Frying, dressings, shortening
Margarine, dressings, shortening, frying
Cooking, sauté, frying, dressings
Margarine, mayonnaise, dressings
Cooking, dressings
Margarine, dressings, shortening
Cooking, margarine, dressings, shortening
Cooking, dressings
Smoke Point
Farehnheit/Celsius
450/232
420/216
392/200
450/232
410/232
450/232
450/232
Designed to have high smoke point
SATURATED FATS
Oil
Butter
Butter (Ghee) clarified
Coconut oil
Lard
Palm oil
Vegetable Shortening
Description
Whole mixed with fats, milk solids, made by chring cream until oil
Higher smoke point, no milk solids
Heavy, colorless, extracted from fresh coconut
White solid from fat of pig
Yellowish/orange from crushed nuts of palm
Processed via whipping and hydrogenation
Best Purpose
Baking, cooking
Frying, sauté
Coatings, baking, shortening
Baking and frying
Cooking and flavoring
Baking and frying
Smoke Point
Farehnheit/Celsius
350/177
375-485/190-250 depending on purity
350/177
370/182
446/230
360/182
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