Healthy Substitutes For Cooking Oil

The next time you see vegetable oil listed in your ingredients, consider one of these healthy substitutes.

If you're pan-frying...
Use water or broth. While cooking oil is called upon in almost every instance of sauteing, you can brown vegetables on the stove using equal parts water and patience. Skip the drizzle of oil and put produce in the pan with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water (vegetable broth works well, too), then stir with a wooden spoon to keep the meal from burning while it heats through.

If you're roasting...
Parchment paper. The trick to roasting vegetables without any oil at all is cooking slow and low (or, in other words, for 45 to 60 minutes in an oven set to 375 degrees Fahrenheit). Achieve similar flavoring with a number of herbs and seasoning shaken over the sides before they roast. And, to keep your food from sticking to the pan and ensure easier cleanup, cover the pan completely in parchment paper rather than oil or butter.

If you're baking...
Fruit puree. The natural sweetness and moisture of applesauce, mashed bananas, and even pureed dates can each substitute for some of the fats that appear in baked goods (namely oil, butter, or shortening). Add only half of the required fat and replace the second half with puree of your choice. (For example, any recipe that calls for a cup of butter can be modified to use a half-cup of butter and a half-cup of applesauce.)

Can't find a replacement?
Try misting. Rather than drizzle oil over your vegetables for roasting or salad, transfer your favorite oil into its own pump-style mister. While it’s so easy to pour more than you mean to, spraying oil offers more control over the amount you put on your food. Plus, you can really stretch the amount you use by evenly covering more food with less oil.