What Is a Substitute for Soybean Oil?

Soybean oil is widely used as a cooking oil, and because its vegetable based, contains very little saturated fat and no cholesterol. While soybean oil is widely available, there are people who prefer to avoid soybeans due to food allergies or other health concerns. If you’re trying to avoid soybeans and soybean oil, there are other healthy options.

Safflower Oil

Safflower oil is high in a polyunsaturated fatty acid that helps increase your metabolism and help decrease your risks of cardiovascular disease. A little under two tablespoons of safflower oil daily can be helpful in lowering your cholesterol levels while reducing the risks of conditions like coronary artery disease and high blood pressure. It is high in unsaturated fats and can help decrease your bad cholesterol levels while increasing the levels of good cholesterol in your body.

Canola Oil

How Much Oil Should You Eat?

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Canola oil is made from pressing the seeds of the canola plant, a member of the rapeseed family 3. It contains only 7 percent saturated fat -- the lowest percentage of saturated fat found in any vegetable oil. Canola oil is also a good source of vitamins E and K, as well as plant sterols, which help keep your heart healthy 3. In addition, canola oil has high content of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 3.

Olive Oil

Olive oil has been used in the Mediterranean region for centuries. It is made from pressed olives and has been used in trade and as a medicine for thousands of years. Like canola oil and soybean oil, olive oil is high in polyunsaturad and monounsaturated fats while remaining low in saturated fat 3. This can help you keep your cholesterol low and reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Coconut Oil

Content of Vitamin K in Olive Oil

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Coconut oil contains one of the highest percentages of saturated fats of any of the oils, but most of these fats are medium chain fatty acids that help you digest foods and convert them into energy. It has been shown to help you maintain a healthy body weight and also contains lauric acid, which is converted in your body to monolaurin, an antiviral and antibacterial substance. According to the scientists who write Organic Facts, lauric acid can help you fight off diseases. A 2011 article in The New York Times notes that the opinion of coconut oil has changed radically in the "health food world" in recent years.