We all love our Malaysian food, don’t we? But at the same time, the traditional Malaysian diet has been ranked as one of the unhealthiest in the world, mainly because Malaysian dishes are just so oily and fatty.
However, you can be healthier and enjoy your favourite dish at the same time. All you need to do is change your cooking oil!
Types of fats
Before diving into which cooking oil is the best, let’s look at the 3 main types of fats.
Saturated fats
Saturated fats are simply fat molecules saturated with hydrogen molecules, causing them to be solid at room temperature.
Countless studies have warned that diets high in saturated fats will cause elevated cholesterol levels. FYI, high cholesterol levels in your blood increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Health experts, therefore, recommend a diet in which only less than 6% of calories come from saturated fat.
Unsaturated fats
Unsaturated fats are not completely saturated with hydrogen molecules and are therefore liquid at room temperature.
Known as the healthier alternative to saturated fats, unsaturated fats are associated with lower cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Examples include the likes of nuts, avocados, canola and olive oils.
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Trans fats
Trans fats are a type of saturated fats, occurring both naturally and artificially. Natural trans fats come from the meat and dairy of ruminant animals such as sheep, cattle, and goats. When consumed in moderation, these fats typically aren’t harmful to your health.
Artificial trans fats, on the other hand, are double trouble. They’re created through an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils, turning them into solids and increasing shelf life.
Found in processed foods like cookies, doughnuts, and crackers, artificial trans fats are extremely harmful to your health.
Which cooking oil is the healthiest?
Saturated fat is not only found in animal sources such as dairy and meat, but also in oils like coconut oil and palm oil.
On the other hand, unsaturated fat is mainly derived from plant-based oils such as olive oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil.
Therefore, you should opt for plant-based oils. Perhaps the healthiest cooking oil out there is extra virgin olive oil, having been linked to the most health benefits.
Unfortunately, most households in Malaysia use palm oil, which is high in saturated fat, mainly because plant-based oils, especially olive oil, are pricey.
Suggested cooking oils
Although olive oil is the healthiest option out there, cheaper and equally healthy vegetable oil alternatives are available for you to choose from.
In particular, canola oil and peanut oil are the 2 best alternatives. Both oils tend to contain the highest amount of unsaturated fats.
Of the two, canola oil is the healthier one. But peanut oil would actually suit Asian cuisine the most due to the nutty taste and smell that adds subtle flavours to your cooking that it adds to your cooking.
