As the old saying goes, "The more oil, the better the dish." When cooking, people often think that the more oil they use, the better. In recent years, many people have realized that excessive fat intake can lead to a series of health problems such as obesity and "three highs" (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high blood lipids), so they have started to control their oil consumption, believing that a low-fat or no-fat diet is healthier. In fact, "not eating, eating too little, or eating too much fat can harm the body, but eating the wrong kind of fat is even more harmful!"
Misconception 1: The oil temperature is too high
When stir-frying, some people like to use high heat and are in the habit of waiting for the oil in the wok to smoke before adding the vegetables. Experts remind that this practice is extremely unscientific. If the temperature is too high, some of the nutrients in the cooking oil will be destroyed, and some peroxides and carcinogens will also be produced.
When stir-frying, it is best to heat the wok first before adding the oil. This way, you can achieve the effect of hot oil and at the same time achieve the effect of stir-frying, killing two birds with one stone.
The way you use oil is also very important. When cooking, you should try not to let the oil "smoke". Improper cooking can turn even the best oil "bad."
Misconception 2: Only eating vegetable oil and not animal oil!
Many people, in order to prevent "three highs" and obesity, always use vegetable oil when cooking, resolutely refusing to include any animal oil.
If you don't eat animal oil for a long time, it can lead to a deficiency of vitamins and essential fatty acids in the body, affecting human health. It's not that a diet of only vegetable oil and no animal oil is necessarily good for your health. In fact, in certain amounts, animal oil (saturated fatty acids) is beneficial to the human body.
Misconception 3: The variety of oils eaten is too single
For convenience and health, many families often eat only one type of oil for a long time, thinking this is good for their health.
It is best to pair the oil with the dish you are cooking, and you should not use the same oil for a long time. It is best to alternate between several oils, or use one oil for a period of time and then switch to another. This is because rarely can a single oil meet all the body's fat needs.
Misconception 4: Using too much oil
The amount of oil used should also be strictly controlled. For people with normal blood lipids and body weight, the total daily oil intake should not exceed 25 grams, with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids each accounting for about half. For the elderly, people with abnormal blood lipids, obese individuals, those with obesity-related diseases, or people with a family history of obesity, their daily oil intake per person should be even lower, possibly as low as 20 grams.
The knowledge of cooking oil is not limited to this. There are also certain techniques for selecting cooking oil. For example, for the same brand of cooking oil, it is best to choose the lighter-colored one. As for more cooking oil tips, you will need to discover them carefully in your daily life.
In addition, Zeng Xiaofei believes that "artificial fats are harmful to the body." This fat is also known as hydrogenated fatty acid or trans fatty acid. It is formed when normal vegetable oil undergoes hydrogenation. Foods such as vegetable cream, margarine, coffee creamer, biscuits, cookies, doughnuts, chips, cereals, and milk tea with added vegetable fat powder contain large amounts of trans fatty acids.