How can you enjoy delicious food without consuming excessive oil? The Chinese Nutrition Society offers some tips for using oil wisely:
How to Use Oil Scientifically
Human diets cannot be without oil. Cooking oil not only enhances the flavor of food but is also an important source of essential fatty acids and vitamin E for the body, and it helps with the absorption and utilization of fat-soluble vitamins in food. However, excessive fat intake increases the risk of chronic diseases.
Scientific oil use involves "choosing good oil," "using less oil," and "using oil cleverly." This means controlling the total amount of cooking oil to no more than 25-30 grams per day, using a variety of vegetable oils, and consuming as little animal fat, margarine, or shortening as possible.
How to Choose Good Oil
To avoid harmful substances produced during the refining process, do not choose oil produced by unregulated private workshops. Look for well-known edible oil brands that have passed national quality inspections to ensure safe purchase and consumption.
Tips for Using Less Oil
Use an oil dispenser with measurements to control the amount of oil used for cooking. Choose reasonable cooking methods, such as steaming, boiling, stewing, and dressing, and use pan-frying instead of deep-frying. Eat less food rich in saturated and trans fatty acids, such as cookies, cakes, pastries, processed meats, and french fries/chips.
How to Use Oil Cleverly
Animal oils have a high proportion of saturated fatty acids, while vegetable oils are primarily composed of unsaturated fatty acids. Different vegetable oils each have their own characteristics. For example, olive oil, tea oil, and rapeseed oil have higher monounsaturated fatty acid content, while corn oil and sunflower oil are rich in linoleic acid, and flaxseed oil is rich in alpha-linolenic acid. Therefore, you should frequently change the types of cooking oil, consume a variety of vegetable oils, and reduce the amount of animal oil used.