8 Alternative Healthy Cooking Oils

Newly popular oils like hemp and grape seed, and long time standards in Asian cuisine like sesame oil are showing up in supermarkets with their own good-for-you claims. The question is, how do they rate when compared to heart-healthy staples like olive and canola oil? And more importantly, how do you cook with them? We took a look at some of the more popular nut, seed, and fruit oils that are showing up these days in the local grocery to find out how they taste and how they stand up when it comes to nutrition. Here’s a look at eight oils you might be wondering about.

An emerald green oil made by cold-pressing the flesh of ripe avocados, this oil ranks right up there with olive oil as a rich source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. It’s also rich in vitamin E, plant based omega-3 fats, and beta-sito sterol, a potent cholesterol lowering agent.Taste: Buttery rich with a distinct avocado flavorUses: Drizzle over seafood, salad and vegetables. Great for frying and high heat cooking because of its high smoke point.Storage: Keep in a cool, dark cabinet away from heat and light. Can be refrigerated but will solidify.Recipe: Spiced Shrimp with Avocado Oil

Coconut oil (a solid waxy white fat) is riding a wave of popularity among the health food crowd. Some reports suggest the saturated fats in coconut oil are not as damaging as the saturated fats in fatty meat or heavy cream. But expert opinion from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Heart Association still hold that oils high in saturates (this one is 86% saturated fat) are best limited.Taste: Coconut overtones with a hint of sweetness and vanillaUses: Sautéing, baking, making popcornStorage: Keeps at room temperatureRecipe: Grilled Swordfish with Tomato-Molasses Dressing

Prized by chefs for its neutral flavor and high smoke point, this polyunsaturated-rich oil is made from the seeds of wine grapes. Grape seed oil is adept at raising “good” cholesterol (HDL) and lowering LDL or “bad” cholesterol. However, unlike grapeseed extract, the oil doesn’t harbor appreciable amounts of proanthacyanadins, potent antioxidants that fight disease.Taste: Clean, light flavorUses: Frying and sauteeing. Good for ethnic dishesStorage: Opened, it will keep for up to a year in a cool, dry cabinet.Recipe: Arugula, Grape, and Sunflower Seed Salad 

A jewel-like deep green color and a rich pistachio flavor makes this oil a stunning garnish for almost any dish. But since it’s not as delicate as most other nuts oils, pistachio oil also lends itself to both baking and sauteing. Bonus: It’s also adept at lowering cholesterol and, according to a recent report, lowering risk of heart disease.Taste: Rich pistachio flavor. Uses: Drizzle it over grilled fish, mashed potatoes, salads or steamed veggies. Storage: Store in a cool, dark cabinet. Refrigerate after opening.Recipe: Pistachio Rice

Rich in both monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, it’s no surprise that sesame oil is adept at helping lower cholesterol. But a new study shows it might help lower blood pressure too. Experts suspect antioxidant compounds called sasamol and sesamin may give the oil its healthy edge.Taste: Varies depending on seeds. Oils made with roasted seeds are dark hued and intensely nutty. Lighter hued oils are mildly nutty.Uses: Drizzled over vegetables or fish or blend with other oils to keep it from overpowering a dishStorage: Keep in a cool, dark cabinet or refrigerateRecipe: Kung Pao Chicken

Rich in polyunsaturated fats, vitamin E, and plant based omega 3-fats, this fragile fat is made by drying hemp seeds and cold-pressing them to extract oil. Many vegetarians favor the oil because hemp seed (the industrial crop grown for non-drug use) is sustainable and seeds can easily be grown without pesticides.Taste: Light and mildly nuttyUses: More delicate than olive and many nut oils, so use for salad dressings or cold foodsStorage: Keep refrigerated after opening. Use up in 3 months.Substitute hemp oil for olive oil in the recipe Sage, Bay, and Garlic Dipping Oil. 

While it needs careful handling, the delicate golden colored oil extracted from flaxseeds offers vegetarians a wealthy bounty of plant-based polyunsaturated omega-3 fats (alpha linolenic acids or ALAs). Preliminary evidence suggests ALAs may help lower cholesterol. One hitch: the oil doesn’t let you tap into the cancer fighting fiber or lignan compounds found in the whole seeds.Taste: Subtle nutty flavorUses: Salad dressings, cold pasta salads, smoothies or any recipes that keep the oil at cold temperaturesStorage: Buy in small batches, keep refrigerated, and use quicklyRecipe: Lemon-Flax Vinaigrette

Tag this golden-hued oil, typically cold-pressed from the meat of tree-ripened nuts, as the richest plant oil source of monounsaturated fats (85% monos.) It also sports the lowest levels of omega 6-fats, fats that some scientists suggest, in large quantities, may promote the harmful kind of inflammation at the root of many chronic diseases.Taste: Buttery richUses: Versatile enough for just about any culinary use. A high smoke point makes it work well for baking, a stir fry, or a sauté.Storage: It is not a delicate nut oil so it’s ok to store at room temperature for long periodsSubstitute macadamia nut oil for vegetable oil in Thai Chicken and Noodle Curry.

Keep in mind that, like wine, healthier oil can vary in flavor depending on how they are harvested, processed, and bottled. Less processing (cold-pressing) typically yields richer more robust flavors. More processing equates to a blander or more neutral oil. And once you’ve made your selection, handle oils carefully. The healthier fats that contain monounsaturates and polyunsaturates are delicate. A good general rule of thumb is to store healthy oils in a cool cupboard away from light and heat. (In hot summer months, the refrigerator may be your best bet.) What happens if you don’t? Fatty acids in the oil can oxidize making the oil taste bitter or rancid.