Sunflower Oil Benefits for Cooking

Sunflower oil's properties are typical of a vegetable triglyceride oil. Sunflower oil is created from oil type sunflower seeds. Sunflower oil is light in taste and search and has a high vitamin E content. It's a combination of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with low saturated fats levels.

Sunflower oil has become very popular in the last few years as a substitute for other cooking oils due to the healthy properties. It also has a neutral taste, meaning unlike some other cooking oils, like olive oil, it won’t add any flavor as to the you’re cooking. 

There are three basic types of sunflower oil: high linoleic acid, high oleic and mid oleic. These types make reference to the linoleic and oleic acid content from the particular oil. The high linoleic type is what is normally employed for cooking.

Cooking Pasta With Sunflower Oil

One of the benefits of sunflower oil is it is extremely light in flavor, therefore the oil doesn't overpower the rest of a dish's ingredients. This light flavor is ideal in simple pasta dishes, including shrimp and broccoli pasta, and pastas using simple garlic or lemon sauces. To create shrimp and broccoli pasta, saute shrimp in a large skillet using 2 tablespoons. 

Frying With Sunflower Oil

Because sunflower oil is lower in saturated fat, many use the oil for frying. Unlike canola oil, that is high in saturated fat, sunflower oil is composed of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which makes it a much healthier alternative. Use sunflower oil to fry potato skins, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, chicken or seafood. Make use of a simple batter made with flour, egg and water, or bread and cracker crumbs. 

Baking With Sunflower Oil

Sunflower oil may also be used as a healthier alternative to traditional baking fats, including butter, margarine and vegetable shortening. The next time you bake, use sunflower oil to lessen the amount of saturated fat in your cookies, brownies and cakes.