Oil, canola
Whole food · Fats and Oils
Photo: Wikipedia
Canola oil is a light, neutral-flavored vegetable oil pressed from the seeds of the canola plant, a cultivar of rapeseed. It has a clean, slightly nutty taste and a smooth, liquid texture at room temperature, making it a highly versatile cooking medium. Nutritionally, it is renowned for being very low in saturated fat and high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids.
💚 Why it's loved
People love canola oil for its incredibly neutral flavor, which doesn't overpower other ingredients, and its high smoke point, making it perfect for everything from salad dressings to high-heat frying and baking.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
Some critics point to the highly refined processing methods used for most commercial canola oil, which can involve chemical solvents. To mitigate this, you can choose cold-pressed or expeller-pressed versions, which are less processed and retain more of their natural nutrients.
Key benefits
- Rich in monounsaturated fats (oleic acid)
- Good source of plant-based omega-3 (ALA)
- Very low in saturated fat
- High smoke point for versatile cooking
- Contains vitamin E and vitamin K
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
The name 'canola' is a contraction of 'Canadian oil, low acid,' as the low-erucic acid variety was developed in Canada in the 1970s.
Full nutrition (scales with serving)
| Total fat (NLEA) | 94.5 g |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 17.3 mg |
| Tocopherol, beta | 0.00 mg |
| Tocopherol, gamma | 41.3 mg |
| Tocopherol, delta | 1.5 mg |
| Tocotrienol, alpha | 0.00 mg |
| Tocotrienol, beta | 8.1 mg |
| Tocotrienol, gamma | 0.00 mg |
| Tocotrienol, delta | 0.00 mg |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 6.6 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.05 g |
| SFA 15:0 | 0.02 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 3.9 g |
| SFA 17:0 | 0.04 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 1.7 g |
| SFA 20:0 | 0.54 g |
| SFA 21:0 | 0.01 g |
| SFA 22:0 | 0.27 g |
| SFA 24:0 | 0.15 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 62.6 g |
| MUFA 16:1 c | 0.20 g |
| MUFA 18:1 c | 60.3 g |
| MUFA 20:1 c | 1.9 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 25.3 g |
| PUFA 18:2 c | 17.8 g |
| PUFA 18:2 n-6 c,c | 17.8 g |
| PUFA 18:3 c | 7.5 g |
| PUFA 18:3 n-3 c,c,c (ALA) | 7.5 g |
| PUFA 20:3 c | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:3 n-6 | 0.00 g |
| Stigmasterol | 2.4 mg |
| Campesterol | 260 mg |
| Brassicasterol | 78.2 mg |
| Beta-sitosterol | 368 mg |
| Campestanol | 0.00 mg |
| Beta-sitostanol | 0.00 mg |
| Delta-5-avenasterol | 24.7 mg |
| Phytosterols, other | 14.7 mg |
FAQ
Is canola oil the same as rapeseed oil?
Canola is a specific cultivar of rapeseed bred to have very low levels of erucic acid (a potentially harmful fatty acid) and glucosinolates. Most rapeseed oil sold in Europe is similar to canola, but in some contexts, 'rapeseed oil' may refer to traditional varieties with higher erucic acid content.
Is canola oil good for high-heat cooking?
Yes, refined canola oil has a high smoke point of around 400°F (204°C), making it suitable for sautéing, stir-frying, and deep-frying.
What is the best substitute for canola oil?
For neutral flavor and similar cooking properties, good substitutes include vegetable oil blends, sunflower oil, or safflower oil. For baking, melted coconut oil or light olive oil can work depending on the recipe.