How To Mix and Match Your Oils

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that oil behaves differently when heated – it changes texture, colour, taste and nutritional properties. When the oil reaches its smoking point, a lot of the nutrients are destroyed and it can sometimes form harmful compounds. The only way to ensure that you consume healthy oil is by switching between two-three of them – for instance, by using groundnut oil one month and then using sunflower oil/mustard oil in another. Any single oil alone is not preferred. Blending oils is another option, whereby you take equal proportions of different oils in one container and then use it. This way you do not get prolonged exposure to the side effects of one type of oil and also get the benefits of different oils. You could also have two or more different kinds of oils in your kitchen which you could use for different purposes. For example, you could use olive oil for salads, groundnut/rice bran oil for frying, and mustard/ soybean/sunflower oil for other cooking purposes. This will let you avail of the health benefits offered by each oil brand. Dear readers: We are open to hearing your suggestions on products and services that you believe should be reviewed/ tested by Team Consumer Voice. You may write to editor@consumer-voice.org.