5 of the Healthiest Cooking Oils

Here’s what you need to know about the best cooking oils for your health, including the smoke points, nutrition and how to use them correctly.

Canola oil

Canola oil is one of the healthiest cooking oils because it offers mixtures of heart-healthy fats (as do olive and soybean oils). It is also a great source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Compared to olive oil, canola oil contains less MUFA, but less saturated fat and more alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) omega-3 fat.

The smoke point of canola is 204 C, which makes it ideal to use when cooking something at a high temperature (think grilling over high heat).

Olive oil

When you’d like your oil to add a little flavour to your food, olive oil is one of the most suggested options. But it’s important to keep in mind that its smoke point is lower than that of canola oil, so consider how you’ll be using it first and at what temperature.

Olive oil is known for its high MUFA content, but also provides a small amount of ALA, the plant form of an especially beneficial type of polyunsaturated (PUFA) omega-3 fat.

One thing to remember, just because an oil is deemed “healthy” doesn’t make it a health food. Cooking oils are calorie dense—one tablespoon contains about 120 calories and one cup contains about 1,900 calories.

Soybean oil

If you don’t think you’ve ever used soybean oil before, think again. It’s often labeled simply as “vegetable oil.”

It contains less MUFA than olive oil, but more PUFA and more ALA omega-3. It has a high smoke point at 234 C, making it good option when frying food. It’s pretty versatile to use because it has both a neutral flavour and a high smoke point.

Avocado oil

Avocado oil is one of the newer cooking oils in terms of consumer popularity, although more research needs to be done to confirm its potential health benefits. Still, chefs and knowledgeable home cooks like it for a few very important reasons. One of the benefits of avocado oil is basically its high smoke point and neutral flavor.

Safflower oil

It’s beneficial to choose safflower oil when cooking vegetables on high heat or searing meats because it has a high smoke point of 232 C. Safflower oil is high in omega 6 and has a neutral flavour.

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