Although coconut oil is considered the lowest-calorie cooking oil, other products, such as olive oil and canola oil, have a similar count. The fact that cooking oil is high in fat—and therefore, calories—doesn’t come as a surprise. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Your body needs to burn calories to produce energy.
Here’s what you need to know about the nutritional content of the different cooking oils.
Olive Oil
Olive oil might be high in calories, but it has long been considered a healthy cooking oil. That’s because it contains monosaturated fats that help decrease cholesterol. It also boosts Vitamin E levels in the body.
Extra virgin olive oil has more nutrients than the regular version of the product. This is because regular olive oil has been refined to the point where it loses some of its vitamins.
Canola Oil
Like olive oil, canola oil has about 120 calories in every tablespoon. However, it’s lower in saturated fats and has a higher polyunsaturated fats count.
Omega-3 and Omega-6 are found in polyunsaturated fats and are necessary for the body. Consuming canola oil is beneficial, as it introduces these much-needed nutrients into your diet.
Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is similar to olive oil in that it has a higher concentration of healthy fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Unfortunately, it doesn’t contain as much Vitamin E. This oil has a mild flavor and can be used to cook food that needs to be prepared at a high temperature.
Although a low-calorie cooking oil doesn’t exist, the products mentioned here offer a healthier alternative to traditional cooking oils.
