NOW CLOSED Take the RapeseedOilBenefits.com challenge to be in with a chance of winning supermarket vouchers worth up to £250

[AngelieMumsnet]

We've been asked by RapeseedOilBenefits.com to find MNers to take part in a 2 week rapeseed oil challenge starting 22nd July.

Here's what RapeseedOilBenefits.com, a not-for-profit campaign that aims to inspire people to use this cooking oil, say about the challenge: "Did you know rapeseed oil, sometimes labelled vegetable oil, is one of the healthiest and most versatile cooking oils you can buy? It has 50% less saturated fat than olive oil and can be used cold in salad dressings through to frying at high temperatures. Many celeb chefs, nutritionists and foodies are championing rapeseed oil for its culinary and health properties. Give it a try and tell us what you think to be entered into a prize draw."

Here's what's involved:

• This is open to all UK MNers with at least one child aged between 2 and 16 living at home.

• The challenge will be from 22nd July to 5th August. During the challenge you'll need to post your feedback on a thread on MN. Please only sign up if you and your family are available to take part during this time.

• The challenge is to buy two bottles of rapeseed oil - one labelled 'vegetable oil' and the other labelled 'cold pressed' - and then to use these in place of your normal cooking oils for two weeks and tell us what you think. (If you already use rapeseed oil, feel free to take part in this challenge too.)

• If you have any questions about rapeseed oil, go to RapeseedOilBenefits.com to ask the nutritionist and check out their guide to rapeseed oil FAQs. Try their easy and tasty recipes while you're there.

• 100 MNers will be selected as 'officials'. If selected, you'll be sent a £10 voucher to contribute towards the cost of buying the oils. This voucher will be for one of two supermarkets - you can submit your preference of supermarkets when you sign up. All 'officials' who post their feedback on the MN thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £250 supermarket voucher of their choice.

• You can still take part if you don't get selected as an 'official'. All 'non-officials' who take part in the challenge and post their feedback on the MN thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £150 supermarket voucher of their choice.

If you'd like to take part as an 'official' in the RapeseedOilBenefits.com challenge, please sign up here.

We'll be in touch with the 100 'official' MNers selected to take part in the challenge by 16th July.

Thanks
MNHQ

[5madthings]

Done.

[aristocat]

[MummyBtothree]

I keep putting my name down so fingers crossed this time!!!

[VelvetStrider]

Done. I hope the oil smells nicer than the plants - I have to cover my nose whenever we drive past a rapeseed field as it smells so bad!

[glenthebattleostrich]

Done, hope I get picked. I never seem to and have started feeling like the one left at the end in PE who no one wants on their team

[YouveCatToBeKittenMe]

My spaniel partakes in RapeseedOilTrials everyday. However I have to wash it all off after his walk or he makes everything sticky
Maybe he'd be really yummy if I fried him before washing

[AtYourCervix]

I hate rapeseed. It smells foul, is too bright and makes my eyes itch.

[Pontouf]

I really like the smell of rapeseed! My mother always slags it off though as she used to keep bees and says that rapeseed pollen makes crap honey.

[CuppaSarah]

I had no clue about rapeseed oil being so good for you! Picked or not I'm swapping to it from now on.

[aboutagirl]

I already use it in place of olive oil for general cooking and frying. For those buying I really like the Borderfrields brand which you can get in Aldi for £2.99 - more expensive elsewhere

[mignonette]

I love Rapeseed oil although to anybody who loves Frank Zappa, the brand called Mellow Yellow is a little off putting

[Glitterfairys]

I'm like CuppaSarah and did not have a clue how good Rapeseed oil is for you. Im all for lowering my familys saturated fat intake

[AtYourCervix]

I can't believe that anything that smells that bad, and causes such massive allergic reactions in so many people, can be good for anyone.

Evil stuff.

[blueberryboybait]

We went to a rapeseed farm recently it was amazing to see how many little pin head size black seeds each plant makes! We saw how the oil was pressed, it looked fab and we tried it in the salad dressing and they looked our meat for lunch in a little of it.

[florencebabyjo]

This one should be interesting. I want to see how easily it adapts to baking recipes.

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

Done.

[helenthemadex]

done

[landofsoapandglory]

I'm with AtYourCervix, Rapeseed is like poison. It makes DS2's asthma bad, DS1's eyes swell up and I think that the massive increase in the amount of it being grown right next to my house is the cause for my morning migraines, so have to sleep with the windows shut!

[fuzzpig]

Sounds intriguing!

[blondieminx]

I'm with AtYourCervix - and I particularly dislike the way the crop makes it look like someone's taken a highlighter pen to the countryside

Vile stuff.

Olive oil all the way here!

[Svina]

I have never seen cold pressed rape seed oil for sale any where let alone aldi. Would like to try.

[Sconset]

florenecebabyjo rapeseed oil is known as canola oil in US/Canada, and it's actually used in loads of US/Canadian recipes (particularly muffins).

I, too, have never seen cold pressed rapeseed oil for sale anywhere. I buy organic rapeseed oil from sainsbury's (own brand organic range)- I much prefer rapeseed to sunflower, which I find makes me heave when cooked/heated. No idea why, but I prefer the smell/taste of rapeseed oil.

[WilsonFrickett]

We are on holiday so I can't sign up, but have been using rapeseed oil for a year now and I much prefer it. It's easier to cook with, better for you, and it's local.

Last year we moved from the city to a semi-rural location and DH and I both had terrible hay fever, which we put down to now living surrounded by rapeseed fields. Someone suggested we started to use the oil, both in cooking and taking raw, tbh we didn't do the raw teaspoonfuls but we have had very little problems with hay fever so far this year.