Best Cooking Oils: Best Cooking Oils

Monday, August 13, 2012

Best Cooking Oils

Over the years, dietary fat has come in and out of fashion for people with diabetes. In the dark ages, before insulin, fat was recommended as the primary source of calories of a diabetic diet. The pendulum then swung in the opposite direction in recent decades, and fat became a dietary villain. Today, fats still sit at the top of the Diabetes Food Pyramid as the food group that should be limited most.

Many argue that with diabetes, limiting carbs is more important than limiting fat, however, and in recent years, the pendulum seems to be moving again, with a new emphasis on consuming a variety of natural fats and avoiding unnatural ones. Trans fats are the man-made fats that are associated with an increased risk for heart disease. Here’s a guide to the healthiest cooking oils for people with diabetes and ideas for making good use of them in your kitchen:
1. Walnut Oil: A polyunsaturated fat and good source of omega 3s. With a smoke point of 400 degrees F, this oil is good for baking (try this Blueberry Oat Muffin recipe) and sautéing at low to medium-high heat (as in this Lemon and Garlic Summer Squash Recipe), or try it drizzled on a salad, such ask this Italian Bean and Artichoke Salad.
2. Flaxseed Oil: A polyunsaturated fat and good source of omega 3s. Due to its low smoke point of 225 degrees F, it should not be used for cooking over heat. Try it stirred into dishes after heating or in salad dressings, salsa or smoothies.
3. Canola Oil: A monounsaturated fat with a medium high smoke point of 425 degrees F, use it in baking (try using it in Oatmeal cookies), sautéing, stir-fry (like this Mexican dish), and in dressings.