Monday, May 2, 2011

Better Shopping: Lose Aerosol Cans, Use Bottled Oils

Want to save some money on your food bill, either to combat rising prices or to free up dollars for higher-quality items?

One simple way is to stop buying overpriced cooking sprays in aerosol cans; their function can easily be replaced by pouring a touch of oil from a bottle into a pan and spreading it with your fingers or a paper towel.


These spray cans sell for $3 to $4 for six ounces of oil, not a bargain considering 32 ounces of good olive oil can be bought for under $10.


In addition, the overwhelming majority of these vegetable sprays (especially canola, soybean and corn) are made from genetically-modified, pesticide-laden crops. For more information on how these oils are made, click here.

Opt for high-quality olive oil, butter or coconut oil. If you want the neutral flavor of the vegetable oils, buy organic or non-GMO brands (i.e. Spectrum) in bottles. You'll still come out ahead financially.

4 comments:

Art said...

Hey Rob,

How do you feel about Safflower oil? And what do you use when you need a neutral oil?

Chef Rob said...

Art,

Yes for safflower oil (and the other neutral oils) as long as it is organic, expeller pressed and unrefined. These may be tough to find and a little expensive, but at least you know what you are getting.

Personally, outside of occasional use for baking, I don't use neutral oils often. I generally stick with high-quality olive oil, butter and coconut oil.

Hope that helps.

Stacey said...

If you want a spray for convenience, you can put your oil of choice in a "Misto". Here is the link to the one I got at Bed Bath and Beyond... http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=11318517. I have seen something similar from Pampered Chef.

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