Every Nepali's kitchen is incomplete without oil. Oil is indispensable for preparing dishes like pulses and vegetables or for worship and feasting. But what is the quality of the oil we use?

Have you ever cared? It is used not only to bring flavor but also to digest food. Because vitamins A, D, E and K are 'fat soluble', the body gets these vitamins from food, for which fat is needed. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), to prevent unhealthy weight gain, we recommend that we consume no more than 30 percent of our daily total energy (calories) from fat. Within this limit of total fat, the WHO says not to consume more than 10 percent of saturated fat and 1 percent of trans fat.
Most of the food we eat contains essential oils for digesting that food. For example: Nuts, almonds, avocados contain 'monounsaturated fat'. Vegetables contain more water and less oil, so oil should be used while cooking. According to the Nepali custom, earlier cow ghee was used for cooking. Since ghee could not be fried or heated for long periods of time, the oil grew in popularity. Recently, the news of adulteration in oil has been coming out.
Since oil is essential for our body, there are a few things to keep in mind while using it. Use oils that are low in trans fat and saturated fat. When using mustard oil, it should be extracted by cold pressed method. Also, oils without preservatives are ideal. It is better to use oils containing vitamins like A, D and E, but only reliable and quality oils made in Nepal should be used.

– Grishma Guragai , Kathmandu