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Meal prep and cooking is often times no easy task, especially when you’re trying to lose weight. It’s no secret that there are a lot of things to keep in mind when you’re trying to stock your fridge and pantry with the healthiest ingredients possible. However, food isn’t the only thing you need to be mindful of when cooking your daily meals.
There’s a specific cooking mistake that you should avoid when you’re on a weight loss journey. This common cooking habit often leads to instant weight gain. Let’s turn to the experts to explain.
In an interview with Women’s Health, nutritionist Rania Batayneh, M.P.H., said that using too much cooking oil can cause weight gain. Cooking oils are often used to coat pans before cooking or to add extra flavor to meals.
Cooking oil has about 120 calories per tablespoon, so it’s important to be aware of just how much oil you use in one sitting. “When you’re cooking, use only enough oil to prevent sticking,” Batayneh said. Batayneh warned that calories can add up quickly so it’s key to be mindful of how you’re using it.
In an interview with Insider, registered dietitian Kris Sollid said that specific kinds of oils are actually considered to have healthy benefits.
“While some cooking oils are higher in certain types of fat, no oil contains only one type,” Sollid said in the interview with Insider. “A cooking oil is considered healthy if it is high in unsaturated fat. Cooking oils that are considered less healthy typically are high in saturated or trans fat.”
Healthline further supports the idea that a variety of cooking oils are in fact healthy when they’re the right type of oil and when they are used in moderation. That’s key to remember. Healthy cooking oils include extra-virgin olive oil, light olive oil, coconut oil, canola oil, avocado oil, peanut oil, and sesame oil.
To clarify, Healthline further explained that extra-virgin olive oil, or EVOO, is considered a healthy versatile fat. EVOO contains antioxidants, heart-healthy fats, and has also been linked to cancer prevention.
