Cooking oil substitutes are currently much sought after by people who want to start a healthy lifestyle. The reason is that cooking oil can be a source of saturated fat and cholesterol that can contribute to various diseases if used excessively.
So, what ingredients can be used as alternatives to cooking oil? Here are several cooking oil substitute recommendations, along with alternative cooking methods you can try.
Alternative Cooking Oil Substitutes
As previously mentioned, cooking oil can have negative effects on health if used excessively. That is why many people are starting to switch from cooking oil to other alternatives that are considered healthier and safer for daily consumption. What are the alternatives to cooking oil? Here is the review.
1. Butter
Butter can be used as a cooking oil alternative. The method is easy: simply heat the butter until it melts. After melting, you can use it to sauté, fry, or roast various types of food.
2. Olive Oil
Olive oil is often used as a cooking oil substitute by people following a healthy lifestyle because it contains unsaturated fats. Besides being consumed directly, olive oil is also suitable for light cooking, such as sautéing, and as a salad dressing.
However, keep in mind that olive oil can lose some of its beneficial properties if heated beyond its smoke point, which is around 176 degrees Celsius. If the temperature exceeds that limit, some beneficial compounds in olive oil can be damaged.
Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the temperature when cooking with olive oil so that you can preserve its beneficial properties.
3. Sesame Oil
In addition to being frequently used as a complementary ingredient in dishes, sesame oil can also be a cooking oil alternative. Sesame oil has a high smoke point, reaching over 240 degrees Celsius. Therefore, sesame oil is suitable for frying at high temperatures.
Besides that, sesame oil also has a distinctive taste and strong aroma, enabling it to enhance flavors and make dishes more fragrant with just a small amount.
4. Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is a vegetable oil extracted directly from the avocados. Avocado oil can be used as a cooking oil substitute because it has a fairly high smoke point, which is 271 degrees Celsius.
Besides being suitable for frying, avocado oil can also provide potential health benefits, such as lowering the risk of heart disease and helping prevent the growth of certain cancer cells.
Another benefit is its use as a natural skin care ingredient. This is because the sterolin content in avocado oil can stimulate collagen production, making the skin look firmer, brighter, and more youthful.
5. Coconut Oil
In addition to potential health benefits, such as its effects on cholesterol levels, coconut oil can also be a cooking oil alternative. There are two commonly available coconut oil variants, namely virgin and regular.
The main difference lies in their smoke points; virgin coconut oil is suitable for frying and sautéing because it has a high smoke point of 232 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the regular variant of coconut oil is more suitable for baking at low temperatures because its smoke point is only 177 degrees Celsius.
Therefore, choose the type of coconut oil that suits your cooking needs so that the cooked results remain delicious and healthy.
Alternatives to Cooking Without Frying
Frying food is indeed often done to get a crispy and savory texture. However, consuming fried food too often can have negative effects on your health. Therefore, there are several cooking alternatives that do not involve frying, including:
1. Steaming
Steaming is a cooking method used to help preserve the nutritional content of food ingredients, especially vitamins. One drawback of cooking with the steaming technique is that it can make food taste somewhat bland and less flavorful.
However, you can enhance its flavor by adding seasonings or butter after the steaming process. This way, the food can remain nutritious and flavorful without needing to be fried.
Read also: 6 Healthy Dietary Patterns to Support a Balanced Lifestyle
2. Pepes
The pepes cooking method is often used to process food ingredients such as fish, tofu, mushrooms, meat, or chicken. The method is quite easy: first prepare the main ingredients, then coat them with signature pepes seasonings before wrapping them using banana leaves.
After that, the pepes package is steamed first so that the seasonings can absorb perfectly. As the final step, grill the steamed pepes over hot embers while turning it until the banana leaves are dry and yellowish.
3. Grilling/Roasting
Grilling is a cooking method that can be used as an alternative to frying. The advantage of the food-grilling technique is that it can help retain the natural antioxidant levels of ingredients like red chilies.
However, avoid grilling food at high temperatures until its surface is charred, as this can increase the formation of potentially harmful compounds. It is best to use moderate heat when grilling; although it takes longer, the food will still be cooked perfectly, delicious, and healthy.
4. Baking/Pan-Searing
Baking can also be a cooking alternative to frying food. The baking technique can be done using an oven or a non-stick skillet. Various ingredients, like seafood, lean meat, poultry, vegetables, and fruit, are suitable for baking.
The baking process can produce a crispy texture with less fat compared to frying.
5. Using Air Fryer
Air fryers are now starting to become a popular choice to replace traditional frying, which requires a lot of oil. Unlike standard frying methods, an air fryer works by heating the air around the food to high temperatures.
That process is capable of producing a crispy and crunchy texture with little to no oil. The advantage of using an air fryer is that the resulting food can have a far lower fat content compared to deep-fried food.
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