When it comes to losing weight, many people, when they begin, assume they need to simply cut as much from their diet as possible.
Beginners, typically, will drop anything with any kind of fat in it immediately, assuming that all fats are the devil. This is a mistake however—our bodies need fat! They just need the right kind of fat, and you can get these by switching up the ones you consume.
It’s all about knowing which are the good ones—things like which is the best cooking oil for weight loss, and which fruits and veggies are packed with healthy fat.
Why do we need healthy fats?
The right kind of fats found in certain foods can help to reduce your appetite, quicken your metabolism, and can spread nutrients efficiently throughout your system. Other fats, however, are downright nasty, such as trans fats, which are often to be found in baked goods.
In order to stay fit and healthy—not to mention to keep your cholesterol levels healthy, which is crucial for a healthy heart—it’s important to make sure you’re using the best oil for weight loss in your cooking.
Choosing the best oil to cook with for weight loss may sound trivial (after all, how many calories can you really cut through changing the oil you cook with, right?!) but in truth, it can have a huge impact on both your health and your physique.
Below, we’ll run through the best cooking oils for weight loss, so you can decide for yourself which to use in the future.
The countdown: The healthiest cooking oils for weight loss
Peanut oil
While the thought of cooking with an oil made from peanuts may sound a little odd at first, there are many reasons to love it.
Peanut oil is packed with oleic acid, which is a type of healthy fat known to both decrease your appetite and help with losing weight as a consequence. In addition, it’s also recently been discovered to promote a healthy memory, which, as far as bonuses go, is not to be sniffed at.
It has a high smoke point too, which means you can get creative with your cooking without setting off the smoke detector!
Coconut oil
Oil made from coconuts contains lauric acid, which is a fat that, compared to other types, converts into energy very easily.
In a nutshell (or, well, coconut shell), this means that any fat gained through consuming coconut oil is easier to burn off and less likely to be stored as body fat.
You can use it as a substitute for butter in just about everything, and it tastes great too!
Avocado oil
Monounsaturated fats are great for your heart, and avocados are stuffed full of ‘em.
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They can boost healthy cholesterol and reduce unhealthy cholesterol, while also serving to help reduce those pesky hunger pangs between meals. In addition, it’s packed with nutrients, and tastes delicious drizzled over a salad.
There’s very little it won’t go well with!
Olive oil
The classic cooking oil, and loved for a reason. Extra virgin olive oil has been found to actually increase levels of serotonin in the body, which is the hormone for feelings of happiness and contentedness.
In addition, olive oil is chock-full of antioxidants which reduce your likelihood of getting various cancers. Plus… it’s tasty!
Macadamia nut oil
It’s not easy to find, however it’s possibly the healthiest cooking oil for weight loss out there.
Full of omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats, it’s good for your heart, it’s full of nutrients, plus it helps to lower your cancer risk due to the high level of phytosterols in it.
It has a very high smoke point too, which makes it easy to cook with for a wide range of meals.
Walnut oil
We’re seeing walnut oil more and more on the shelves recently, and for good reason.
It’s delicious for starters, with a rich, nutty flavour (no surprise there). It also helps the body respond better to stress it undergoes and can work to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.
As if that wasn’t enough, it’s jam-packed with polyunsaturated fat acids which can increase the amount of calories you burn even at rest, as well as those delightful omega-3 acids—more than any other nut-based oil, in fact.
Canola oil
Canola oil for weight loss is a much-loved choice. It has a great balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, and people with this particular ratio of acids have been found to suffer less from cancer, asthma and arthritis, and to deal with them more effectively.
In addition, it contains nutrients that help to regulate body weight. For day-to-day usage, this is the best option in this list due to canola oil’s ability to cook well at high temperatures.
With a reasonably mild flavour which prevents it from over-flavouring everything you cook in it.
Flaxseed oil
Flaxseed oil is full of crucial omega-3 fatty acids which help your body with weight regulation – as well as reducing your risk of heart disease.
It helps to keep your blood vessels clear and in good health, and can also work to prevent any potential inflammation you may experience internally.
Plus, for any professional typists out there, there’s an added bonus: clinical trials have found flaxseed oil to be useful in the fight against carpal tunnel syndrome. The only downside to flaxseed oil is that it’s not great when heated, making it better for salads.
Bonus tip
Buy a non-stick frying pan! You’ll have to use far less oil for your cooking, especially if you buy a cooking oil spray, which finely coats the frying pan and often contains only a single calorie.
With the above healthy cooking oils for weight loss, your new perfect body is just around the corner!
