Cooking Oils: 8 Oils That Deserve a Place in Your Pantry & Your Recipes! by Donna John

Back in the 80s, the only cooking oil in your pantry may have been all-purpose vegetable oil (the exact vegetable a mystery). Don’t be stuck in the oily dark ages. Chef Gerard Viverito, director of Culinary Education for Passionfish, shares eight cooking oils you need to know about! 

Here are the everyday oils that deserve a place in your pantry:

• Olive oil – Rich in monounsaturated fat, this oil is great for your heart and skin health. 
• Butter – The myth about saturated fat has been busted. Butter is fine to use in moderation.
• Malaysian palm oil – This oil is a popular replacement for harmful trans fats. 
• Coconut oil – Coconut oil’s medium-chain fatty acids are easily utilized as body fuel, which may help you manage your weight.

The special occasion (pricey!) oils are:

• Avocado oil – Avocado oil is rich in nutrients. 
• Macadamia nut oil – Commonly used as a beauty aid, it's is good for your health, too. 
• Flaxseed oil – Nutritious, but it begins breaking down at 225 degrees, so can’t be exposed to heat. 
• Sunflower oil – Sunflower oil is rich in skin-, brain- and heart-healthy vitamin E tocotrienols. Unfortunately, it’s also high in inflammatory compounds.