14 foods · IFCT 2017
Cooking oils and fats: nutrition per 100 g
IFCT 2017 lists 14 cooking oils and fats: coconut, corn, cotton seed, sesame, groundnut, mustard, palm, rice bran, safflower (plain and blended), soyabean and sunflower oil, plus ghee and vanaspati. Each is 100 g fat per 100 g, which gives a calculated 884 kcal, with no protein or fibre. What separates them is the type of fat, saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, and how much omega-3 each carries.
About cooking oils and fats
Every Indian kitchen has its oil, and the choice is often regional: mustard oil in Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Punjab, coconut oil in Kerala, gingelly (sesame) oil in Tamil Nadu, groundnut oil in Gujarat and Maharashtra, and ghee across the north for tempering and festive cooking. Refined sunflower, soyabean, rice bran and palm oils have spread everywhere in recent decades.
On a gram basis they are all the same: 100 g of fat in every 100 g, the most energy-dense food there is. The 884 kcal per 100 g shown for each is calculated from that fat with IFCT's standard energy factor. The difference lies in the fatty acids. Coconut oil, palm oil and ghee are rich in saturated fat. Mustard, groundnut, sesame and rice bran oils carry more monounsaturated fat. Sunflower, safflower, corn and soyabean oils are high in polyunsaturated omega-6, and mustard and soyabean oils also bring useful omega-3. Vanaspati is a hydrogenated fat that can carry trans fats.
Because no single oil has the ideal mix, nutrition advice in India favours using two or more oils in rotation, for example mustard or groundnut oil alongside rice bran or sunflower oil, and keeping the total modest. Reusing oil from deep frying, and heating any oil until it smokes, damages it, whichever oil it is.
Cooking oils and fats compared
Per 100 g of the edible portion. Open any food for its full panel, varieties and names in Indian languages.
| Food | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coconut oil | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
| Corn oil | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
| Cotton seed oil | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
| Ghee | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
| Groundnut oil | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
| Mustard oil | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
| Palm oil | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
| Rice bran oil | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
| Safflower oil | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
| Safflower oil, blended | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
| Sesame oil (gingelly) | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
| Soyabean oil | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
| Sunflower oil | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
| Vanaspati | 884 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | - | - |
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad.
The richest cooking oils and fats by nutrient
Energy
- 1.Coconut oil884 kcal
- 2.Corn oil884 kcal
- 3.Cotton seed oil884 kcal
What people ask about cooking oils and fats
Which cooking oil is healthiest for Indian cooking?
No single oil is best for everything. A practical approach is to rotate two or more, such as mustard or groundnut oil with rice bran or sunflower oil, keep total use modest, and avoid vanaspati and reused frying oil.
Is ghee better than refined oil?
Ghee and oil are both 100 g fat per 100 g in IFCT 2017. Ghee is mostly saturated fat and adds flavour in small amounts, while vegetable oils carry more unsaturated fat. Many families use a little ghee for taste and an oil for everyday cooking.
Which oil has the most omega-3?
Among the cooking oils, mustard oil carries the most plant omega-3 (ALA), followed by soyabean oil. Sunflower, safflower and coconut oils carry very little. The omega-3 table in this section ranks them all per 100 g.
Why should vanaspati be avoided?
Vanaspati is vegetable oil hardened by hydrogenation, a process that can create trans fats, which raise harmful LDL cholesterol and lower protective HDL. India now limits trans fats in fats and oils, but keeping vanaspati and bakery fats to a minimum is still wise.
Explore the rest of the tables
Cereals and millets
14 foods per 100 g.
Pulses and legumes
14 foods per 100 g.
Green leafy vegetables
26 foods per 100 g.
Vegetables and mushrooms
39 foods per 100 g.
Roots and tubers
10 foods per 100 g.
Fruits
44 foods per 100 g.
Nuts and oilseeds
14 foods per 100 g.
Spices, herbs and condiments
21 foods per 100 g.
Milk and dairy
3 foods per 100 g.
Meat, poultry and eggs
14 foods per 100 g.
Fish and seafood
41 foods per 100 g.
Sugars and natural drinks
3 foods per 100 g.