Choosing the best cooking oil to use isn’t easy. There are many factors to think about, just some of which include the oil’s saturated fats, trans fats, smoke point, and calories.
Thankfully, if you’re just looking for a cooking oil that’s low in calories, calories are a lot simpler to understand than smoke points or saturated fats and trans fats!
Canola oil is one of the most popular cooking oils. It’s a vegetable oil that’s made from the canola plant, and is versatile in terms of how it can be used for cooking.
But how many calories are there in canola oil?
Here’s the answer: per tablespoon (14 milliliters), canola oil generally contains around 124 calories.
It should go without saying that almost all cooking oils are high in calories – they’re oils, after all!
But if you want to know how canola oil stacks up against other cooking oils, plus which cooking oil is considered the healthiest, you’ll need to keep reading.
Is Canola Oil Healthy?
Now that you know how many calories are in canola oil, is canola oil considered healthy?
Canola oil is high in unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats), which are considered healthy fats.
Unsaturated fats can help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels in the blood, and they’re also a good source of vitamin E, an antioxidant that can help protect cells from cell-damaging “free radicals”.
Despite that, canola oil is high in calories – and is actually one of the highest-calorie cooking oils you can use!
Alongside canola oil, the cooking oils that have the highest amount of calories include flaxseed oil, grapeseed oil, sesame oil, and sunflower oil – all of which contain around 124 calories per tablespoon serving (14 milliliters).
On the other hand, canola oil has a high smoke point, which means that it can tolerate high heat (for frying, for example), and won’t break down to produce harmful compounds.
Overall, canola oil is considered healthy for cooking and its high amount of unsaturated fats, but can also be unhealthy due to its high amount of trans fats and high calories when compared with other cooking oils.
How Many Calories In Vegetable Oil?
Like canola oil, vegetable oil is another popular plant-based cooking oil. Similarly, it also has a high smoke point as well as a high amount of unsaturated fats and trans fats!
Due to this, vegetable oil and canola oil are often mistaken as the same.
But how many calories are in vegetable oil?
Per tablespoon (14 milliliters), vegetable oil generally contains around 120 calories.
So, in terms of calories, vegetable oil has slightly less calories in it than canola oil. The difference isn’t big, but it might be if you strictly count your calories!
How Many Calories In Sunflower Oil?
Sunflower oil is also a popular cooking oil in many kitchens. It’s made from sunflower seeds and has a high smoke point and high amount of unsaturated fats, including the essential omega-6 fatty acid.
On top of that, it also has no trans fats!
As mentioned earlier, sunflower oil has around 124 calories per tablespoon (14-milliliter serving) – the same amount of calories as canola oil.
So while there are many benefits to using sunflower oil (the high smoke point, high unsaturated fats, and no trans fats), it’s one of the cooking oils that has the most calories in it.
How Many Calories In Olive Oil?
Olive oil is a common cooking oil, but some people tend to avoid using it as it’s considered one of the most expensive cooking oils!
Olive oil is especially high in unsaturated fats and antioxidants, including vitamin E. It’s also often used as a salad dressing, as it’s considered to have a better taste than other popular cooking oils.
As for calories, olive oil, per tablespoon (14 milliliters) generally contains around 120 calories – the same amount of calories found in vegetable oil.
Another point worth mentioning about olive oil is that, unlike the cooking oils listed above, it has a low smoke point, which doesn’t make it a healthy choice for high-heat cooking, like frying.
How Many Calories In Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil has risen in popularity in recent years as one of the healthiest cooking oils. This is because it contains lauric acid – a unique saturated fat that can help stabilize cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
But while coconut oil does contain lauric acid, this does also mean it’s generally high in saturated fats.
Per tablespoon (14 milliliters), coconut oil typically has around 120 calories. This is the same amount of calories as vegetable oil and olive oil.
Like olive oil, coconut oil has a low point, which doesn’t make it the healthiest choice for frying food.
How Many Calories In Avocado Oil?
Similar to coconut oil, avocado oil is becoming increasingly popular as a healthy choice of cooking oil.
This is due to how avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fats, immune system-boosting antioxidants, plus various vitamins and minerals, including potassium, vitamin K, and folate.
Avocado oil also has a high smoke point, making it versatile for cooking, including high-heat cooking, such as frying.
So how many calories are there in avocado oil?
Per tablespoon (14 milliliters), avocado oil generally contains around 120 calories. Yep, this is the same amount of calories as vegetable oil, olive oil, and coconut oil!
Despite the amount of calories, avocado oil is considered one of the healthiest cooking oils due to all of its well-rounded health benefits, especially when compared with other cooking oils such as vegetable oil, olive oil, and canola oil.
Conclusion
To conclude, canola oil typically contains around 124 calories per tablespoon (14 milliliters). This makes it one of the cooking oils that has the most calories, alongside flaxseed oil, grapeseed oil, sesame oil, and sunflower oil.
All in all, most cooking oils have around 120–125 calories per 14-milliliter tablespoon serving. In terms of overall health benefits and cooking versatility, however, coconut oil and avocado oil come out on top!
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