Nutrition
Keep Your Healthy Oils Protected
Download PDFFollow these simple tips to protect your unsaturated fats (olive oil, sunflower oil, etc) from being damaged.
Unsaturated fatty acids are very susceptible to damage which means we have to take much greater care with the foods that contain them than we do with other types of fats. Some of the steps that we can take to prevent damage include:
- Store them in airtight green or brown glass containers. This helps to keep the sun out. Sunlight degrades the quality of oil, therefore the darker the bottle, the less light will enter.
- Minimize opening them and make sure the cap is always tight-fitted and closed
- Be aware of the type of oil you are using and the temperature it needs to be stored at. (e,g, olive oil is best in a dark cupboard, and avocado oil should be kept in the fridge).
- Add antioxidants like vitamin E or vitamin C (citric acid)
- Avoid storing oils where they can be damage. E.g. A place with frequent temperature changes, i.e. right beside the stove)
- Avoid storing oils in plastic containers. Plastic tends to leech chemicals over time.
- Consider transferring oils into smaller dark-coloured glass bottles to make it easier to manage containers.
