You've probably read a few of my articles by now and know that I'm a huge advocate of eating organic to stay healthy. A great way to get the best benefits from organic food is by cooking it the healthiest way. Many people cook their food in the wrong oils or butter or use the microwave to cook or reheat their meals simply because it is what they were taught to do. This can defeat the purpose of eating healthy in the first place. Oils like vegetable, canola or even olive oil can be unhealthy. I have found that I can add even more nutrition to my meals when I prepare my food with the best ingredients.

The Right Cooking Oils and Butter

The first step is to find the right cooking oils and butter. Your average vegetable oil contains polyunsaturated fatty acids that are very difficult for your body to break down. This oil heats up when it enters your body and the temperature causes it to rot and become toxic. This oil effects your thyroid and causes you to feel sluggish while it slows your metabolism. If this oil is becoming rancid inside of your body, chances are it is also killing the vitamins and minerals of your organic food before your body has a chance to absorb them.

This is just an example of why you should not cook with your average vegetable oil, but other favorite oils like olive oil can also contain pesticides and one of the reasons why you switched to an organic diet in the first place is to rid your body of chemicals like these. So, what should you do? First and foremost, when you go organic, go organic on everything including your cooking oils.

Organic Coconut Oil

I have finally found my favorite oil and it is the one that everyone insists is so bad for you, not to mention fattening. I also heard of the many health benefits I would get if I used the organic version of this oil, so I gave it a shot. I discovered an absolute treasure in organic coconut oil. Other cooking oils could never come close to adding this much flavor to food. I'm talking about everything from chicken and fish to pasta to deserts and more! It seems expensive but it actually is not because it lasts forever. The shelf life is great and a little of this oil goes a long way.

Organic Olive Oil

If I choose not to use organic coconut oil, I will most likely cook with organic olive oil. Organic olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids that contribute to good cholesterol while reducing bad cholesterol. These fatty acids are also less likely to turn rancid once consumed. Organic olive oil is also full of antioxidants and free of pesticides. Depending on the flavor I am looking to add to my meal, I might opt out of using oil altogether and choose butter. That's right, organic butter! Many people believe that the healthiest way to get the flavor of good, old-fashioned butter is to use margarine but they are completely mistaken. This is not a healthy alternative at all!

Margarine

Margarine is hardly a food at all by the time chemicals are added and it has undergone pastuerization, hydrogenation and hemoginization. Now that you are about to read about it, I guarantee you will never consume it again. Margarine starts off as a combination of different types of oils that have already turned rancid and some of the oils extracted from their sources have been removed with hexane. Hexane is known to cause cancer and trace amounts of it are left behind in the food, so this alone is bad news, never mind the rest. One of the oils used to create margarine is cottonseed oil which is extremely unhealthy. Part of it is even used to create pesticides! There's plenty more to talk about when it comes to the negative aspects of margarine, but that is another article unto itself. Please do not cook with or flavor your food with margarine!

Steam your Food

Another option would be to occasionally ditch the oil and butter and steam your food. This is just about the healthiest way to eat your food if you're not going to eat it raw. Foods that are steamed maintain much of their natural flavor and keep maintain most of their vitamins and minerals because they are not being boiled or fried under high heat.

Healthy Oils List

Here is a great list of healthy oils to help you decide how best to cook your delicious organic dinners and reap the most benefit from your organic diet!

1. Organic Coconut Oil- A great brand is Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.

2. Organic Olive Oil- Casa Di Oliva Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the best one that I've tried so far.

3. Organic Flaxseed Oil- This oil has a great nutty flavor that goes well with chicken, vegetables and muffins although it is usually recommended that you add your flaxseed oil after you have already prepared your food. Spectrum is a popular brand for this oil as well as many organic cooking oils.

4. Organic Grapeseed Oil- This is a good option for when you want your cooking oil to simply coat your food or prevent it from sticking to the pan. Organic grapeseed oil has a very mild flavor and is great for those foods that already have plenty of flavor. A brand that I've seen in many nutrition stores is Natural Ease.

5. Organic Valley Sweet Cream Butter

Be Creative and Have Fun

Have fun preparing your organic meals while adding flavor and nutrition to your diet with these tips. If you like this article, you may want to check out my future article on why not to eat margarine! Don't forget to check out Planet Green and the Cooking Channel with Dish Network for tips on healthy cooking. Remember that even if you find a recipe that sounds very appetizing but it is not organic, you can still make it that way. Be creative and think ahead about organic alternatives for the list of ingredients and take note that some foods like organic meat might take longer to cook so adjust your recipes accordingly. Enjoy!

By: Bob Jackson