Top 10 Cooking Oils

Fat: The Good and The Bad, and The Neutral (Yes!)
Before we conclude which are the best cooking oils, let's look at the essentials - Fats 101. We've been classifying fats into the good and the bad categories for years. They were classified based on their heart-smart values: their ability to raise or lower total and LDL cholesterol. The problem is, some fatty acids are neither - they don't raise or lower cholesterol. Instead, their effect on cholesterol is neutral. 

Good Fats: Omega-3, MUFA (omega-9)
Neutral Fats: Omega-6, stearic acid (a type of saturated fat)
Bad Fats: Trans (commercial-type), saturated except stearic acid

Top 10 Good Cooking Oils
Based on the above classification, the "ideal" cooking oil should contain a higher amount of the "good" fats (omega-3 and 9), and minimal saturated fats and trans fats. All of the following oils are low in the "bad" fats listed above.

1. hazelnut oil
2. olive oil
3. flaxseed oil
4. avocado oil
5. almond oil
6. canola oil
7. apricot oil
8. sunflower oil
9. pistachio oil
10. peanut oil

If you're concerned about GMO, it's likely that corn, soy, and canola oils are genetically-modified. There're non-GMO, organic kinds of these oils available. So check the label.

Extra notes: Choose sunflower oil or canola oil if you wish to fry foods, as these oils have a higher smoke point. It is best not to fry with extra-virgin olive oil, as its smoke point is only about 190C/375F.