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One of the best ways to monitor your intake is by cooking fresh foods rather than eating out or purchasing prepared foods. In this way, any added ingredients, such as fats, oils or salt, can be controlled during preparation. Because some oils are more heart healthy than others, the type of oils used in food preparation will have an impact on the type and amount of fatty acids obtained through your diet. For example, although they both contain the same amount of fat per one tablespoon, coconut oil has almost 12 grams of saturated fat, while safflower oil has less than 1 gram. More over, safflower oil is a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. The following are some suggestions for replacing ingredients in your favorite recipes to lower their total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content:
- When baking, 2/3 cup of vegetable oil may be substituted for one cup of butter or margarine.
- When cooking or baking, one cup of evaporated skim milk may be substituted for one cup of heavy cream.
- When baking, three tablespoons of cocoa powder dissolved in one tablespoon of vegetable oil may be substituted for one ounce of unsweetened chocolate.
- Part-skim ricotta cheese may be substituted in recipes that call for cream cheese (e.g., cheesecake).
- Use plain or Dijon mustard instead of mayonnaise or other fatty sandwich spreads.
- Non-fat frozen yogurt may be substituted for ice cream, and is also available without sugar. Furthermore, yogurt can be substituted for high-fat sour cream when making dips, dressings and toppings.
- Adding fat is not necessary for flavor. No-salt seasonings, herbs, or garlic can add flavor without adding fat.
- Either 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup of cholesterol-free egg substitute can be used instead of a whole egg.
Generally, it is difficult to recommend just one particular “general purpose” oil, as some oils may not suit certain purposes due to their particular taste or due to their “flash” point – the temperature at which they smoke. For instance, olive oil is generally not suitable for baking, but serves quite well as a marinade, or as a dressing for salads, bread or pasta. The overall goal should be to reduce saturated and trans fats in favor of unsaturated fats, using the healthiest oil suitable for a particular use and to consume fats or oils in moderation. Please see the table below as a general reference.
Food values: Selected Fats and Oils
|
Oil per
serving |
Calories
(kcal) |
Total Fat
(g) |
Sat. Fat
(g) |
Mono-
unsat. Fat
(g) |
Poly-
unsat. Fat
(g) |
Chol.
(g) |
|
Canola
1 tbsp
(14g) |
123.76 |
14 |
0.99 |
8.25 |
4.14 |
0 |
|
Coconut
1 tbsp
(13.6 g) |
117.23 |
13.6 |
11.76 |
0.79 |
0.25 |
0 |
|
Cottonseed
1 tbsp
(13.6 g) |
120.22 |
13.6 |
3.52 |
2.42 |
7.06 |
0 |
|
Corn
1 tbsp
(13.6 g) |
120.22 |
13.6 |
1.73 |
3.29 |
7.98 |
0 |
|
Olive
1 tbsp
(13.5 g) |
119.34 |
13.5 |
1.82 |
9.95 |
1.13 |
0 |
|
Palm
1 tbsp
(13.6 g) |
120.22 |
13.6 |
6.71 |
5.03 |
1.26 |
0 |
|
Palm Kernel
1 tbsp
(13.6 g) |
117.23 |
13.6 |
11.08 |
1.55 |
0.22 |
0 |
|
Peanut
1 tbsp
(13.5 g) |
119.34 |
13.5 |
2.28 |
6.24 |
4.32 |
0 |
|
Safflower
1 tbsp
(13.6 g) |
120.22 |
13.6 |
0.84 |
10.15 |
1.95 |
0 |
|
Soybean
1 tbsp
(13.6 g) |
120.22 |
13.6 |
1.96 |
3.17 |
7.87 |
0 |
|
Sunflower
linoleic, >60%
1 tbsp
(13.6 g) |
120.22 |
13.6 |
1.4 |
2.65 |
8.94 |
0 |
|
Butter, Salted
1 pat
(5g)+ |
35.85 |
4.06 |
2.52 |
1.17 |
0.15 |
10.95 |
|
Margarine, Corn
1 teaspoon
(4.7 g)+ |
33.78 |
3.78 |
0.66 |
1.82 |
1.13 |
0 |
Source: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 13+. Please note for comparison that the listed weight, in grams, of butter and margarine is significantly lower than that of selected oils. Consider these differences in weights carefully when making nutritional comparisons between these items. | 
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