While plant-based fats are considered more heart-healthy than animal fats, canola oil is generally believed to be a healthier option because it is lower in saturated fat than vegetable oil.
If you don't have any vegetable oil on hand, you can substitute another neutral high-heat oil. Canola, safflower, peanut or grapeseed oils are all great choices. Refined versions can reach even higher temperatures than unrefined ones. (Check the label if you're unsure about what you have.)
Canola oil has a higher ratio of monounsaturated fat to saturated fat, and free of trans fats, which is considered more heart healthy. While vegetable oil has 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon, canola oil has only 1 gram. Vegetable oil tends to be the more cost-effective alternative of the two.
Canola oil is generally considered a “healthy” oil because it is very low in saturated fat (7%). Like olive oil it is high in monounsaturated fat (63%).
Canola Oil Disadvantages
Some studies show that a high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 can raise your risk of certain diseases and conditions, such as Alzheimer's, obesity, and heart disease. Canola oil is also highly refined. This means it goes through a process that uses heat and chemicals to extract the oil.
Is Canola Oil Better than Olive Oil? No. Canola oil is high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, making it technically a heart-healthy option. Olive oil, on the other hand, is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, making it a better choice for reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
Canola is a good choice for cooking and baking because it's low in artery-clogging saturated fat (lower than olive oil) and high in heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats.
In general, canola oil is the healthier cooking option due to its higher concentration of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats and lower concentration of saturated fats.
Best for Shallow Frying and Sautéing
Therefore, oils with moderate or high smoke points can be safely used. Some examples include olive, avocado, canola, corn, safflower, sunflower, and grapeseed oil.
Heart-healthy oils like canola, corn, olive, peanut, and sunflower oils contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They help to lower harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and raise healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
The verdict. Canola/rapeseed oil is healthier. It's lower in saturated fat, higher in vitamin E and has a higher smoke point, making it the better choice for cooking. However, it doesn't have the polyphenols that extra-virgin olive oil contains.
Besides the more robust flavor, high-quality olive oil is also healthier for you than canola oil. It contains antioxidants as well as monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat (aka the good kinds of fats).
The best substitute for canola oil? Olive oil is well known to be a heart-healthy cooking oil (source). If you're making something savory like a salad dressing or sauteing, you can use olive oil as a 1 for 1 substitute for canola oil.
Olive oil is the clear winner. A source of monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, olive oil is less processed and offers greater health benefits when compared to vegetable oil.
Vegetable oil contains the highest levels of polyunsaturated fats of any type of cooking oil, which is a good thing since these types of fats have been shown to lower coronary heart disease.
Canola oil is high in unsaturated fats and has the lowest amount of saturated fat among the common cooking oils. It contains high amounts of oleic acid (a monounsaturated fat) and alpha-linolenic acid (the plant-based omega-3 essential fatty acid).
Canola oil is suitable for frying. Some research suggests that it can improve insulin sensitivity and help reduce cholesterol levels compared with other sources of fat.
Thanks to a similar smoke point (400°F) and mild flavor profile, canola oil is a suitable replacement for olive oil for sautéing, grilling, roasting, and stir-frying.