Clients often mention that they're confused by all the different types of cooking oils available these days. "What is the best oil for cooking?," they ask. I start by telling them that it depends on what they're looking for.

Cooking oils that come from vegetable sources are similar in several ways. First, they are not hydrogenated, which means they aren't solid at room temperature, and therefore don't contain any trans fat. And these cooking oils don't contain any cholesterol either, since they're not made from animal products.

All vegetable cooking oils are a mixture of three types of fat: saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated. One tablespoon of each of these oils contains about 120 calories and about 14 grams of fat. Besides their different tastes and smoke points (the temperature at which an oil begins to smoke), each type of cooking oil is also made up of different proportions of these three types of fat.

From a nutrition standpoint, the best oil is one that is low in saturated fat and higher in monounsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids (which are a type of polyunsaturated fat). Good choices here include olive oil, canola oil, and flaxseed oil. Because coconut oil and palm oil are high in saturated fat, they should be used sparingly, if at all.

Experiment with the tastes and varieties of cooking oils. But one caveat: When using oils in cooking, always measure with a spoon instead of pouring directly from the bottle into the pan. This helps to keep your portions in check.