Oils - Good Fats Bad Fats

Canola Oil

(7 percent saturated fat) Made From: Seeds of the rapeseed plant.
Used In: Salad dressings, some margarines, frying food.
Pros: Good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point.
Con: Has fewer antioxidants than olive oil. Tip: A good oil for high-heat cooking. Add a little olive oil at the end of cooking for enhanced flavor.

Sunflower Oil

(About 10 percent saturated fat) Made From: Sunflower seeds.
Used In: Some margarines; processed snack foods, like cookies and crackers.
Pros: High in unsaturated fat. Flavorless and colorless.
Con: Susceptible to oxidation, so restaurants may use an unhealthy, partially hydrogenated variety.
Tip: Sunflower oil has a low smoke point. Keep temperatures low when sauteing vegetables or cooking meats.

Corn Oil

(About 13 percent saturated fat) Made From: The germ of corn.
Used In: Salad dressings, corn chips, some margarines, baked goods, microwave popcorn, general cooking.
Pros: A good source of omega-6 fatty acids. Neutral in flavor. High smoke point. Inexpensive.
Con: Often hydrogenated (which adds unhealthy trans fats) in processed and deep-fried restaurant foods.
Tip: A good choice for frying at home, since it can handle high heat.

Olive Oil

(14 percent saturatedfat) Made From: Olives.
Used In: Salad dressings, some canned tunas, Mediterranean cooking; it's drizzled on cooked foods for extra flavor.
Pros: Tastes good. High in antioxidants.
Con: The tastiest extra-virgin varieties are expensive.
Tip: "Use olive oil as your main oil," says Walter Willett, M.D.

Soybean Oil

(15 percent saturated fat) Made From: Soybeans.
Used In: Salad dressings, mayonnaise, sauteed dishes, processed snack foods (in its partially hydrogenated form).
Pros: A good source of vitamin E. Inexpensive and widely available.
Con: In this country, most soybean oil in prepared foods is hydrogenated (though the bottled form is not).
Tip: Try it for sauteing. Also a good choice for baking recipes that call for vegetable oil.

Peanut Oil

(17 percent saturated fat) Made From: Peanuts.
Used In: Roasted nuts, high-heat searing and frying.
Pros: Nutty taste. High smoke point.
Con: More expensive than soybean, sunflower, and safflower oils. Potentially allergenic.
Tip: Good for stir-frying or wok cooking, as well as for marinades and dressings.
VVritten by Jennier Rapaport September 2006

Flavorful Specialty Oils

• WalnutOil (9 percent saturated fat) This rich-tasting oil is used in salad dressings, sautes, and marinades. It is high in omega3 and omega-6 fatty acids and contains a small amount of vitamin E. Downside: Heating can remove some of the oil's flavor and produce a slight bitterness.
• Avocado Oil (11 percent saturatedfat) Pressed from the fruit of the avocado, this oil has a nutty, buttery taste. It works well in salad dressings and for drizzling on vegetables and is also a good choice for frying and sauteing. Has health properties similar to those of olive oil.
Downside: It is expensive and can be hard to find.

Low-Fat Specialty Oils

• Grapeseed Oil (10 percent saturated fat) This oil (made from the seeds of grapes and also known as grape oil) has a clean, light taste and is often used in salad dressings and homemade mayonnaise. A high smoke point makes grapeseed oil a good choice for sauteing. It is also high in antioxidants and doesn't spoil easily. Downside: It's expensive.
• Flaxseed Oil (10 percent saturated fat) Made from flaxseed and used in freshly made salad dressings, flaxseed oil has the highest amount of alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) of any oil. Flaxseed boosts immunity, can help ease constipation, and contains the phytonutrient lignin, which may lower your risk for some cancers. Downside: Flaxseed oil spoils quickly. Some research has linked alpha-linolenic acid to prostate cancer. There's just enough evidence, says Walter Willett, M.D., chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, to suggest that flaxseed oil should be consumed in modest amounts. It's also hard to find.

Bad Fat:

Saturated These fats raise bad cholesterol, so a diet heavy in them may increase your risk of heart disease. Americans get about 11 percent of their daily calories from saturated fats. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 7 percent.

Margarine

(About 18 percent saturatedfat, 0 to 30 percent trans fats; see The Origin of Trans Fats) Made From: Vegetable oils.
Used In: Recipes for baked goods that call for stick margarine. Also used as an inexpensive substitute for butter.
Pros: Many tub margarines have been reformulated to contain mostly unsaturated fats, so check the label.
Con: Splatters ifheated in a pan. Tastes synthetic.
Tip: Choose a tub margarine that lists a liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient, says Lona Sandon, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern, in Dallas. Avoid stick margarines, which may have trans fats or saturated fats.

Solid Shortening

(20 to 30 percent saturated fat, 8 percent trans fat) Made From: Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Used In: Processed foods, some baked goods, piecrusts.
Pros: "If you want a flaky piecrust, there's nothing better than solid shortening," says P.I Hamel, a test-kitchen baker at King Arthur Flour, in Norwich, Vermont.
Con: High in trans fats.
Tip: Replace part or all of the shortening with butter or canola oil for piecrusts.

Lard

(About 40 percent saturatedfat) Made From: Pig fat.
Used In: Fresh or frozen piecrusts and other baked goods; certain cuisines, including American southern, British, Mexican, Norwegian, and Chinese.
Pros: Gives a delicate texture and taste to fried foods and baked goods.
Con: Hard to find in stores.
Tip: Look for all-natural, preservative-free lard. Lard is fine for special uses, says Willett, but don't make a habit of using it.

Palm Oil

(50 percent saturatedfat) Made From: The fruit of the palm tree.
Used In: Processed foods, such as cookies, crackers, and microwave popcorn.
Pros: Nutty flavor. High in antioxidants. Long shelf life.
Con: Very high in saturated fat.
Tip: When buying processed foods without trans fats, choose ones with palm oil (a frequent substitute), rather than palm kernel oil, which contains 82 percent saturated fat.

Butter

(About 60 percent saturated fat) Made From: Cream or milk.
Used In: High-quality baked goods and desserts, sauces; also used as a spread.
Pros: Adds outstanding flavor, texture, and shape to foods.
Con: Contains myristic acid, thought to be the most potent LDL-raising fat.
Tip: Add a bit of butter at the end of sauteing for flavor.

Coconut Oil

(About 87 percent saturated fat) Made From: Coconuts.
Used In: Nondairy creamers; Thai, Polynesian, and Indian dishes.
Pros: Resistant to rancidity. Contains lauric acid, a fatty acid that raises good cholesterol.
Con: Has a strong taste.
Tip: It's OK to have a dish with coconut oil every now and then," says Sandon.