8. Oils
Oils are very essential for our health. Whether you are weight watching or concerned about your cholesterol or heart health, there is no reason to do away with the oils from your food. Oils add flavour to food, they increase the satiety of our meals and most importantly, they are very necessary for the absorption of Vitamins A, D, E, and K. They provide essential fatty acids, energy and are major constituents of body fluids and cell membrane. 20-25% of daily calories should come from fats and oils.
Which should you choose? For daily use, choose an oil with a good monounsaturated to saturated to poly unsaturated ratio. Peanut is almost perfect, but using it in combination with mustard (or til oil) makes it more so. Olive oil profile is almost the same as peanut, but its low smoking point makes it a healthy option for salad dressings and low heat cooking. Healthy combination of oils helps keep the LDL and total cholesterol in check while providing the body with essential nutrients.
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