All food contains all of the nutrients we need to be healthy, it is necessary to eat various foods in sufficient amounts. A good diet will include many different foods, and sufficient in quantity and quality to meet an individual’s need for food energy and other micro nutrients.

Oats

Oils

Okra

Olives

Onions

OILS

Typical serving size:

1 Tbsp or 15 mL

HOW THEY HARM

High in saturated fat Bacterial infection

WHAT THEY HEAL

High cholesterol Hormone production Nutrient absorption Oils, which are made from a variety of vegetables and seeds, are pure fat and have 9 calories per gram, or 240 to 250 per oz
Before refrigeration, preserving foods with oil was critical to survival
Today, even with a limitless supply of healthy foods, oils are an important diet component
They provide a concentrated source of energy and fatty acids that are essential to build and maintain cell walls
They also add an appetizing flavor, aroma, and texture to foods, and because they take longer to digest than the other main food groups, they satisfy hunger

Health Benefits

Can be heart healthy
Oils contain varying amounts of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids
Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats tend to lower LDL cholesterol, especially when they replace saturated fats in the diet
This is the reason people who are concerned about cholesterol are encouraged to avoid most saturated fats and replace them with mono- and polyunsaturates
The best all-purpose dietary oils are canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oils, which contain predominantly mono- or polyunsaturated fats with very low levels of saturated fats
Vegetable oils contain no cholesterol
Promotes hormone production
Fats such as oils are also necessary to make growth and sex hormones and prostaglandins, the hormonelike substances that regulate many body processes
Improves nutrient absorption
Fats such as oils can help the body absorb and use fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K

Health Risks

High in saturated fats
Saturated fats tend to raise levels of artery-clogging LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol
The saturated fatty acids mostly responsible for raising cholesterol are lauric, myristic, and palmitic acids
Coconut, cottonseed, palm, and palm kernel oils all contain high levels of these damaging fatty acids
Palm, palm kernel, and coconut oils, like animal fats, are solid at room temperature and are highly saturated
Dangerous bacteria
If you like to make flavored oils by adding herbs, garlic, or other ingredients, keep them refrigerated and throw them out after 2 days
Oil can support the growth of the bacterium that causes botulism, which is potentially fatal
Commercially prepared flavored oils usually contain additives that prevent bacteria from growing

Allergies

Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over steamed greens

Flavor a radicchio and pear salad with walnut oil

Make chocolate fondue creamier by blending in a tablespoon of canola oil

Buying Tip

Buy single-source oils, such as pure canola or pure olive, rather than blended oils
Blended oil often has an overwhelming proportion of the cheapest and probably least healthful oil mentioned, with only a negligible amount of the more expensive, better-quality oil

Storing Tips

Store oils in a cool, dark place

Oil will retain its flavor for about 6 months
33% of calories in an average American’s diet today comes from fats and oils