Lately I've been getting a lot of questions regarding canola oil. It is being called "unsafe, unhealthy, bad for you, etc". What's the deal?Here's a little back story on canola oil. Canola comes from seeds that are specially bred from the Canadian rapeseed plant. The original rapeseed plant is high in erucic acid, which is linked with heart muscle damage. However, canola comes from seeds that are low erucic acid. Its name comes from "Canadian oil, low acid". Seeds originated through cross-breeding, but today, 80% of canola oil is from genetically modified seeds. Most soybean oil in the US also comes from genetically modified seeds.Canola oil is one of the most heart-healthy oils available. It is low in saturated fat (solid fat) and has high amounts of mono-unsaturated fat. A qualified health claim was created in 2006 stating that "eating 1 1/2 Tbsp. of canola oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the unsaturated fat content in canola oil". Canola oil has a mild flavor, making it very versatile for baking, sauteeing, stir frying and for salad dressings. So go ahead- use canola oil. It's #nutrigirlapproved.