Before you pull out the extra virgin olive oil again, consider using one of these other healthy oils to change things up a bit. It's not that we don't love olive oil—it's high in good-for-you fats and antioxidants—but these healthy alternatives are just as capable of boosting both your dinner and health.
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Grapeseed
Grapeseed oil has a clean, light, neutral taste and can be used in almost any dish, hot or cold. It can withstand high heat, up to 485-degrees Fahrenheit. You can store it for three months at room temperature (so long as it doesn't exceed 70-degrees Fahrenheit) or longer in the fridge.
Benefit: Grapeseed oil is rich in the antioxidant vitamin E, which is often in short supply in our diets.
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Walnut
Walnut oil is tasty in salad dressings and drizzled over prepared dishes, but it needs to be refrigerated and should not be used for cooking.Benefit: Because walnuts are one of the best sources of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, regular use of walnut oil could help reduce your risk of coronary heart disease.
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Coconut
Coconut oil is a vegan-friendly baking substitute for butter and good for low-heat cooking, up to 350-degrees Fahrenheit. (It's solid at room temperature but liquefies with low heat.)
Benefit: Coconut oil is about 90 percent saturated fat, but research suggests that it's metabolized in the body more like unsaturated oil, possibly because it comes from a plant rather than animal source. (See how oil-pulling with coconut oil can be good for your health, too.)
Refined Avocado
Avocado oil is a great option if you don't want to overpower a dish's other ingredients. It has a mild, nutty flavor and a high smoke point (520-degrees Fahrenheit), making it good for stir-frying, sauteing, roasting, and even baking.
Benefit: Like olive oil, avocado is high in mono-unsaturated fats that help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and increase "good" HDL.
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Toasted Dark Sesame
Sesame oil shines in vinaigrettes for noodles and green salads but shouldn't be heated, or it will produce a bitter flavor. Keep it refrigerated.
Benefit: The sesame seeds that are used to create the oil form antioxidants during roasting, says Deborah Beauvais, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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