Canola: Canada's Oil 

For years, we’ve been suffering from a “fat-phobia.” We’ve been urged to banish it from our diet whenever possible. So we went through all this effort to switch to low fat everything and felt pretty good about ourselves, too.

But something happened—or rather, didn’t happen: We didn’t reduce our heart disease risk, nor did we end up getting healthier overall. What did we do wrong?

In the rush to cut out the unhealthy fats, we also axed some healthy ones, including canola oil. But it’s not too late to turn our fat fate around.

A Healthy Fat

When it comes to its nutrition profile, canola oil has certainly earned its title as the world’s healthiest cooking oil. Canola has the least amount of saturated fat of any common cooking oil ( 1 ). Plus it’s free of trans fat and cholesterol.

Even more impressive is its hefty dose of heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Replacing saturated fats with oils rich in unsaturated fats helps lower your "lousy" (LDL) cholesterol levels and reduces the risk for developing heart disease.

This is especially relevant for those with diabetes, since the risk of heart disease is 2-3 times that of those without diabetes ( 2 ).

Canola is also a good source of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that protects your body from damage, maintains a healthy immune system and defends against chronic diseases.

An Oil for Every Occasion

With its smooth texture and light taste, canola oil is perfect for any kitchen creation. It also has a high smoke point, meaning you can use it for anything from basting to broiling.

To get started, try canola oil:

• For sautéing, stir-frying, grilling and baking
  
• In salad dressings, sauces and marinades
  
• In place of margarine or butter in baking
  

You’ve no doubt seen fields of bright yellow canola swaying in the breeze on Alberta highways. Not only is Canada the world’s largest canola producer, it’s actually named after our country. Canola is a contraction of “Canada” and “ola”, meaning oil. That is one patriotic cooking oil!

Want to do some better-for-you baking? Try the Berry Good For You Cookies in the Pure Prairie Eating Plan. The not-so-secret ingredient: canola oil!

References

1) Canola Council of Canada (2007). Canola Oil is Healthy. Retrieved from http://archive.canolainfo.org/health/index.php

2) Canadian Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committee. Canadian Diabetes Association 2013 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada. Can J Diabetes 2013;37(suppl 1):S1-S212.