Just last year, Americans spent more money on eating out than on groceries for the first time ever as cooking at home, especially with healthy oils for your heart, becomes more and more rare.
However, cooking at home can be more fun, less expensive, and definitely more healthy. And finding the right herbs, spices and even healthy oils can make all the difference when it comes to cooking flavorful food at home.
Cooking with healthy oils for meats, veggies, or as a substitute for butter in certain recipes can add a different flavor and help reduce unhealthy fat and cholesterol.
Healthy Oils for Your Heart that are Easy to Cook with
There are different oils that can be used for different recipes, creating a rich or savory flavor, while providing greater health benefits than butter or margarine.
Coconut Oil
Becoming extremely popular in recent years, coconut oil has proven its wide array of benefits, especially in cooking. Coconut oil adds an amazing, light flavor to many chicken dishes, like curry or crusted chicken.
Coconut oil can help boost metabolism, help clear up skin, support heart health, and even help with weight loss. Use a higher quality coconut oil so there are fewer additives, giving you the best flavor and results.
Olive Oil
Italians have the market on olive oil and it may be their secret to having some of the oldest people in the world hail from that small country. Olive oil is a healthy fat, much like avocado oil, and can improve heart health and immune systems.
Olive oil can be used to cook chicken and veggies or added to salad dressings. Either way, a little goes a long way. Make sure to read the ingredients to get the best product, since some companies tend to add vegetable oil fillers.
Fish Oil
While you may not necessarily cook with fish oil, you might cook fish or simply take the oil in capsule form. Fish oil is filled with Omega 3 fatty acids which support heart health.
Additionally, some fish oils, like cod liver oil, is rich in vitamin D3. Most people are deficient in this vitamin and can have health consequences such as kidney failure. Vitamin D3 also helps support strong bones and cognitive improvement.
Canola Oil
Canola oil has a perfect balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids at a 2:1 ratio. With its high abundance of omega fats, it’s a great healthy oil to cook with for almost anything.
It is also high in monosaturated fats, which lower bad cholesterol, or LDL. This can reduce the risk of heart disease. On top of that, canola oil is fairly inexpensive and has a long shelf life.
Cooking with healthy oils instead of margarine or Crisco can help you stay healthier in the long run by reducing bad fats and cholesterol. Try looking up some healthy, appetizing recipes to entice you to be more of a chef and less of a diner.
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