Don’t Burn Healthy Cooking Oils!

Olive, canola, peanut, sesame, grapeseed . . . these five heart-smart plant oils have one terrific thing in common: They’re rich in monounsaturated and/or polyunsaturated fats, which have cholesterol-lowering benefits. But overheat them and those healthy perks may go up in smoke. Cooking at high enough temperatures to set off smoke means the oil’s breaking down, losing nutrients, and releasing potentially carcinogenic free radicals. And when oil hits its “smoking point,” food cooked in it tastes off. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cook with these healthful oils. Just pick and choose what you use.

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