What oil is best and healthiest for cooking and salads?

Cooking: I prefer Coconut
Why? It's one of the highest concentrations of naturally occurring saturated fats there is, it is very shelf stable due to no open bonds, and is much better for cooking at a higher temperature than olive oil as it is less likely to oxidize.


Salads: Flax Oil (I like the ones infused with chili's/herbs as it gives more flavor)
Why? Rich in omega 3's which is tough(ish) to find as a vegan, it's an anti-inflammatory, the essential fatty acids are largely responsible for its skin-healing and irritations.

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Oils are not the healthiest for you. They are processed and since all the fiber is stripped many say it is like eating empty calories.

I have heard that coconut butter is the best because it keeps the fiber from the coconut in it.

Coconut oil is good for cooking because it can withstand it.
Olive oil, and many other oils, are not good for cooking because they oxidize and become damaged fats.

You don't want to eat damaged fats.

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when cooking I use olive oil it is more expensive but is a mono fat. best not to use a whole lot for any reason because food wrapped in any fat need to be digested before the other nutrition gets digested inside of the oil wrapping. also do not cook to the smoke point this changes all vegetable fats into trans fats and that is not good. Canola oil is the second best it is a mono fat and is cheaper but I love the flavor of olive oil myself.

as for salads if for your self extra light olive oil is best but if you do not mind the flavor of evoo then it has more good stuff in it and that is what I use for making dressings.

1 good dressing is
homestyle italian
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tab water
1 tsp salt
2 tab lemon juice
1 tab Italian seasoning of choice

shake and dress the salad.
the water helps to blend the oil and lemon juice let it set about 15 minutes for more of the seasoning to get into the oil. good ether way. Shake and serve.

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For me I use extra virgin olive oil for both, as recommended by my dietitian. I have high cholesterol and olive oil is a healthy fat.

And the reason it's at the bottom of the food chart is because proportionally, you shouldn't be eating many servings of it like you would with veggies and fruits. Moderation is the key.

How much you spend on vegetarian food monthly, and how many people that feeds?

I've been vegetarian for 7 years, and 3 of those years I was vegan. I didn't really start monitoring my expenses until recently, but now, I probably spend around $200/month on food, though I can go down to like $150 if my budget's really tight, but I end up eating a lot of bad, processed, junky food...

So I'm just looking to see how much different people spend each month on a raw vegan diet, to get an idea of how much I will be spending. I know it's probably going to quite a bit more expensive, but the health benefits, I think, will be great.

Take it your way

I have a raw vegan friend who spends $200 a week. On herself. I kid you not.
So.. $200 a MONTH is great.

I generally spend $60 a week on food, so you're even doing better than me. That said, I live in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Do you go to markets and co-ops as much as possible? They're always going to be 2382392 times cheaper than supermarkets!

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Grow your own! Whatever you like to eat out of fruits and vegetables learn how to grow it. Learn how to germinate, and how to PLANT TREES.

As for me I live in a place where there are all four seasons, so I usually have to grow really winter hardy crops in a heated green house/hoop house, or go to locally owned markets and get produce. It usually costs me $40.00 a week if I eat what I like (that includes mostly organic produce).

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i think i could eat raw for right at 300 a month.and only some organic,not totally. fruit for breakfast. veggies,nuts and seeds for lunch and dinner. maybe some all fruit days especially if i find good fruit on sale.
not gourmet raw vegan with elaborate recipes. that's when it gets expensive.

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Actually, raw food is a great deal cheaper than a conventional vegan diet. Produce is so much cheaper than frozen soy products, and processed convenience foods.

The most expensive item I purchase is bags of raw nuts at around $4 a bag. I use these to make dips, sauces, ice cream, nut butters etc, and those generally last me a week.

Do you need some type of set diet to an athlete?

I'm 5'11" and weigh about 190 pounds and am looking for a good and effective diet I can use to try to get me into alot better shape for basketball.

Consider this:

You may want to increase your protein intake and drink plenty of water. I have seen college students that are into athletics carry water in gallon containers.

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Very lean meats, and tons & tons of fruits and vegetable. with tons & tons of water too!

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If you don't eat meat it's a good idea to eat a lot of nuts, beans and soy based foods as they are very good sources of proteins and athletes need a lot of them. Many meat imitations are protein rich so look for them.

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Just eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, get your protein by eating beans, tofu and lentils. If i have a sporting event the following day i carbo load, usually eating pasta, rice or potatoes. Always drink plenty of water before and after sport.

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Have heaps of protein man. Best place to get protein is through meat or dairy. Unfortunately you are on the wrong forum to get good nutritional advice.

Can a vegetarian diet help reduce the risk of having a stroke?

Eating raw & fresh foods greatly reduces risk. Not so much vegetarian & vegan, as most eat cooked, processed, junk & very little fresh even though most know eating fruits & vegetables are the best for them.

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The reason a vegetarian or vegan diet would help reduce the risk of stroke is related to vegetarians/vegans often being at a healthy weight, and being more conscious about eating enough fruits and veggies....

However, you can get the same benefit while still eating meat, if you keep a healthy diet and make sure you eat plenty of fruits and veggies (and are conscious about the amount/kind of meat you eat)

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A vegetarian diet is usually lower in fat (unless you pack in fried food and junk food), and essentially devoid of cholesterol, so yea, it could help reduce the risk of strokes.

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Of course. But vegetarians and vegan need to take precaution of lack of omega3. Because Omega 3 is a nutrients commonly found in fish. Lack of omega 3 could causes stroke. Vegetarians and vegan can get Omega 3 from flaxseed.

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Yes it can, because the unhealthy fats in meats contribute to clogging up arteries which in turn can lead to strokes among other things. Factory farmed meat is particularly bad for the health because the animals are most often given growth hormones and other rubbish to make them grow bigger and plumper and fatter - if you compare it with game meats you'll immediately see the difference in fat content.

Also, if one is of the opinion that one HAS to eat meat, it should form only a small part of the diet - it shouldn't even be eaten daily, so for those who can't manage to give up meat, they should drastically cut down the amount that they eat, this should at least be a start to improving health issues.