Can you Substitute Corn Oil for Vegetable Oil?

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Can you substitute corn oil for vegetable oil? Corn oil is healthy oil with a taste of roasted corn and light color. The oil has become very popular due to its pleasant flavor, health benefits and low price. It is made from corn kernels and then refined. Unfortunately, most of the recipes still require vegetable oil.  To answer the question above we’ll compare two oils: corn oil and vegetable oil.

Fat profile

Vegetable oil is a mix of vegetable oil, mainly soybean oil with canola oil, corn oil or palm oil. We cannot identify the fat profile of this oil as you may buy vegetable oil with different oil combinations. Thus, the percentage of all types of fat may vary in vegetable oil but it is always higher in unsaturated fatty acids and low in saturated fats. The main part of its fats is polyunsaturated omega-6 essential fatty acids with some amount of omega-9 and omega-3 fats. Read the label of the oil for precise information.

Corn oil is very similar in the fatty acid composition. It is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. According to nutritiondata it contains 54% of omega-6 fatty acids, 28 % of monounsaturated omega-9 fats and only 1% of omega-3 fats. The amount of saturated fats is equal to 13%.We see that the fat profile of two oils is almost the same so if you substitute corn oil for vegetable oil you will get the same nutrients.

RELATED: Canola oil Nutrition Profile – Get Health from Canola Oil

Smoke point

In order to answer the question “Can I use corn oil instead of vegetable oil for high-heat cooking?” we need to compare their smoke points. The smoke point of corn oil is 450°F as Wikipedia states. The temperature is high so corn oil is ideal for all types of frying and grilling so it can be used instead of vegetable oil in all recipes without any danger for the health.

SEE ALSO: Canola Oil vs Corn Oil – What is Preferable?

Flavor

Vegetable oil is neutral. Oils are mixed in such a way to receive the oil without any specific taste, odor or color. Vegetable oil doesn’t change the flavor of the food. What about corn oil? Can you substitute corn oil for vegetable oil for salad dressing, baking or frying potatoes? Corn oil is neutral as well. It has a little bit sweetish taste especially when heated. If it is added cold it adds a flavor of roasted corn. The taste of corn oil doesn’t spoil ready dishes. During a taste test corn oil has been chosen as the best for frying potatoes among sunflower and vegetable oils. So you can use corn oil in all recipes you like instead of vegetable oil. Corn oil can replace vegetable oil for:

-                     Salad dressing,

-                     Sauteing,

-                     Deep-frying,

-                     Grilling,

-                     Baking,

-                     Sauces and marinades.

You simply need to add the same amount of oil as indicated in the recipe. Remember that corn oil is low in omega-3 fatty acids and it shouldn’t be the only oil in your diet. Diversify the oils you consume for achieving more health benefits.