If you're like most Americans, your pantry probably contains either a generic vegetable oil  that you purchased because it's what your mother used or an olive oil that you purchased after reading a magazine article on it’s health benefits.

Though, if you've ever considered moving outside your comfort zone and trying a new cooking oil, you may have found the aisles of refined oils, infused oils, cold pressed oils, and extra virgin oils a bit intimidating. If this sounds a little like you, here are three simple facts to consider before taking the plunge into the wonderful world of oil.

Health
From a health perspective all fats, cooking oils included, can simply be categorized into four distinct groups:  

• Saturated Fats, which raise total blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol)
• Trans Fats, which raise LDL cholesterol  (bad cholesterol) and lower HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol)
• Monounsaturated Fats which lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) as well as increase HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol)
• Polyunsaturated fats with lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol)

Cooking oils with concentrated amounts of heart-healthy monunsatured and polyunsatured fats include canola, corn, flax seed, grape, olive, safflower, and sunflower oil.  Cooking oils that should be limited because of their concentrated amounts of saturated fats include palm, palm kernel and coconut oil. It is important to remember that all oil contains a concentrated amount of calories and should be used in small amounts.

Flavor
Understand that it is not advisable to use the same type of oil for every dish that comes out of your kitchen. Canola, grape, vegetable, safflower, and sunflower oils have a weak to moderate flavor profile and will take on the flavors of other food items in a recipe. On the other hand, corn, peanut, and sesame oils have a strong flavor profile, meaning that the actual flavor of the oil itself will be detected in the dish that is prepared.

Smoke Point
It is also important to determine the type of cooking process recommended for a recipe, prior to making an oil selection. Some oils have low smoke points, meaning that the oil will denature or burn at a low temperature. These oils should not be used when frying or cooking at high temperatures. For example, flaxseed oil has such an extremely low smoke point that it is recommended that heat not be added to the oil and that it only be used for dressings or added to food items that do not require cooking. Oils with higher smoke points, such as grape seed, vegetable, canola, and peanut oil can be cooked at very high temperatures, with little risk of denaturing.  Canola, safflower and vegetable oils are also great for baking. Olive oil, which has a medium smoke point, is best used for sautéing and should not be used to fry.

So add a little variety to life and stock a couple of new oils in your pantry. Just remember health, flavor and smoke when you're shopping and cooking.

If you have other questions about cooking oils or you've heard some myth that's not addressed here, please let me know. I'd love to provide answers and feedback.

photo by: @kevinv033