It’s National Heart Health Month! I am excited to be partnering with heart healthy,* cholesterol-free Mazola Corn Oil to bring you six unique ways to incorporate it into your diet.
A new survey conducted by OnePoll found that nearly 50% of respondents are hoping to diversify the types of cuisines they cook but it can be intimidating to gather the varied ingredients needed for these new types of cuisines, especially when you want to choose better-for-you ingredients. Having corn oil on hand is a great place to start since it is super versatile and heart healthy.
Here are ways to incorporate it:
1. Blueberry Corn Bread Muffins: These are a great on-the-go breakfast option made with better-for-you ingredients like fresh blueberries and corn oil. Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is important to heart health. In fact, even a 1 percent reduction in bad (LDL) cholesterol has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease by 2-3 percent. The Journal of Clinical Lipidology has published a study that found that corn oil, like Heart Healthy Mazola, can help lower cholesterol more than extra virgin olive oil.
2. Baked Tortilla Chips: Tortilla chips can get a bad rap but can actually be made nutritious when baked and made with a heart healthy oil. The American Heart Association issued a presidential advisory on dietary fats and cardiovascular disease (CVD) that strongly advised replacing saturated fats, with polyunsaturated fats, like those found in corn oil, citing studies which found that making such a change can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 30 percent.
3. Popcorn: Popcorn is great snack option that happens to be a whole grain! If you aren’t opting for the air-popped variety, be sure to choose a healthy oil to pop it with. Corn oil pairs seamlessly.
4. Salad dressing: Replace store-bought salad dressings often packed with added sugar, with a homemade variety. Adding corn oil to salad dressing can help you absorb fat soluble vitamins found in produce – vitamins A, K, D and E.
5. Stir-Fry: this is my go-to easy weeknight dinner that can be made with any lean protein and vegetables you have in your fridge. Having an all-purpose cooking oil on hand like cholesterol-free Heart Healthy Mazola makes it simple and easy to prepare balanced, nourishing meals.
6. Grilled Corn: Who says corn on the cob is just for summer? With a high smoke point, Mazola Corn Oil performs well in a variety of cooking applications, including stir-frying, sautéing, grilling and even baking, to make a variety of delicious tasting meals. Many home cooks may not realize that all cooking oils have a smoke point that once exceeded not only negatively affects the foods’ flavor but the nutrition as well. Mazola has a high smoke point of 450 degrees F.
* See Mazola.com for more information on the relationship between corn oil and heart health.
