Indeed, not many persons know how much palm oil they should use. Really, an incident is still fresh in my mind.
I watched as she poured the palm oil in the pan to prepare her meal. Immediately, I got a throwback moment, casting me back to days we celebrated the New Yam festival.
You could see the presence of palm oil in the soup, as it settles above every other ingredients.
In fact, you could scoop some oil from it and use that to conveniently prepare another soup.
Whenever the issue of how much palm oil a woman or anyone cooking should add to their soup, this past ways our parents cooked is often cited.
Not everyone truly believe that there is a limit to how much red oil you should add to your soup.
Palm Oil Nutritional Value
Well, one thing to remember is that our parents ate Egusi soup, for instance, majorly on such festive period.
However, it is important to note that red oil is high in calories and saturated fat.
Here is what you consume.
Really, if you do not take care, you can get more than necessary saturated fat from it.
As a result, it is advisable to use it in moderation.
Experts recommend that men should not eat more than 30g of saturated fat a day.
Also, they advise women to ensure they do not eat more than 20g of saturated fat a day. Children should have less (1).
Furthermore, studies have linked consumption of palm oil to increased ischaemic heart disease mortality, raised low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other adverse effects.
However, a few other studies show no negative effects or even favourable health outcomes from red oil consumption (2).
How Palm Oil Converts To Cholesterol
If you do not watch how much of this oil you consume, you expose yourself to risk of high bad cholesterol level.
Here is how it happens.
Palm oil in its raw form contains zero cholesterol. But it contains saturated fatty acids.
These fatty acids are like other fatty acids and can transform into cholesterol in the body (3).
Also, other studies say palm oil is possibly safe when used as a medicine, short-term.
For instance, expert say taking 7-12 grams daily for up to 6 months seems safe.
Bottom Line
That said, a general rule of thumb is to add about 1-2 tablespoons of red oil to a pot of soup.
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This should be enough to add flavour and colour to your soup without overwhelming it with too much oil.
If you love the colour it brings, add a little quantity of turmeric to the soup.
Indeed, we do not recommend that you follow recipes strictly when it comes to adding red oil.
This is important if you are trying to make sure you do not consume so much saturated fat.
Overall, while red oil can add a delicious flavour to your soup, it is important to consume it in moderation as part of a balanced and healthy diet.