Cooking Oils Explained – all you need to know!
Cooking is good for the soul.
Using oils to saute and roast food adds delightful flavors to your food. That is if you’re using a quality, healthy oil that is safe to cook with. I don’t like to use the “good vs. bad” phrase in nutrition because it can establish a stigma, so I am referring to these oils as “safe and unsafe”.
There is a lot of talk these days on what we should eat and what we should avoid, but there is little talk on understanding what your food is cooked in, especially at restaurants. Knowing what oils are safe to use and what oils are unsafe is important. Very important. I’ll explain why.
Good Cooking Oils
Best for: Frying, baking, broiling, grilling, roasting, and meal prepping
High heat tolerant
Butter (grass-fed)
Ghee (grass-fed) – a great substitute for those intolerant to dairy
Coconut oil (organic and unrefined)
Beef and lamb tallow (grass-fed)
Chicken, lard (pork), duck, and goose fat (organic and/ or pasture-raised)
Red Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil (organic, sustainably harvested, unrefined)
Best for: Quick stir-frying, light sautéing, and slow and low simmering
Low heat tolerant
Extra virgin olive oil (cold-pressed/ expeller-pressed and unrefined) – should come in a dark bottle to prevent light from rancidifying the oil
Avocado oil (cold-pressed/ expeller-pressed and unrefined)
Macadamia nut oil (cold-pressed/ expeller-pressed and unrefined)
Sesame oil (cold-pressed/ expeller-pressed and unrefined)
Fun fact: McDonald’s used to fry their French fries in 93% beef tallow (along with 7% cottonseed oil) before changing over to vegetable oils with added chemical flavor enhancers in 1990 (Schlosser, 2001).
Less Safe Cooking Oils
Best for adding to sauces and dressings - not to be used with heat.
Flaxseed oil (cold-pressed/ expeller-pressed and unrefined)
Hemp oil (cold-pressed/ expeller-pressed and unrefined)
Pine nut oil (cold-pressed/ expeller-pressed and unrefined)
Pumpkin oil (cold-pressed/ expeller-pressed and unrefined)
Unsafe Cooking Oils
Avoid using if at all possible.
Canola oil/ rapeseed oil
Corn oil
Cottonseed oil
Soybean oil
Vegetable oil
Vegetable shortening
Partially hydrogenated fats/ oils
Margarine - not a oil, per say, but it’s made of vegetable oils and can contain trans fats.
Not-so-fun fact: Canola oil/ rapeseed oil is the most widely-used oil in restaurants, food trucks, and grocery stores. Even natural-forward grocery stores like Whole Foods use canola oil. Yikes is right.
Safe cooking oils that are properly prepared and packaged are nutrient-dense because they maintain their nutrient profile.
Unsafe cooking oils write a different story. These oils are highly processed and handled with haste, not care. They are called “industrial seed oils”. Some of these oils were originally used for soap making (Kresser, 2019). Soap making. Since then, they’ve made their way into the kitchen. Good golly miss molly. According to Chris Kresser, industrial seed oils are treated at high temperatures before being treated with a petroleum-based solvent. Then, they are deodorized, which can involve bleaching the oils. Yes, the same bleach you’ve used in your house to clean and rid your home of bacteria and germs!
Side note – if you’re using bleach, please stop. It’s super toxic, along with many other chemically-based cleaning products you may have in your home which can adversely affect your health in more than one way. I encourage the purge.
Back to oils. Once they’re deodorized, resulting in trans fats (yep, that’s bad), MORE chemicals are added to improve the color of the oils (Kresser, 2019).
Recap
Safe cooking oils –
Include healthy fats that aid the body.
Include vitamins and a better balance of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids – the standard American diet is rampant in omega 6s and low in omega 3s (ideal ratio is 1:1).
Aren’t processed with chemicals.
Aren’t heated to high temperatures (if buying cold-pressed).
Aren’t transformed into something they’re not.
Unsafe Cooking Oils –
Are processed with chemicals, making them toxic oils.
Are heated to high temperatures.
Are deodorized which results in trans fats.
Are transformed into something they’re not – a chemically processed oil.
Are devoid of health benefits due to preparation – can lead to health concerns like autoimmune disease, asthma, heart disease, and inflammation.
I’ve only skimmed the surface on the reasons why you should choose safe cooking oils over unsafe, aside from the obvious. More and more research is being done, and I encourage you to do your own. Here are a handful of articles I recommend to get you started. I know all the enneagram 5s are fist-pumping right now. I’m here for you, friends.
What is the Healthiest Cooking Oil?
How Industrial Seed Oils Are Making Us Sick
And I recommend this book if you want to dive deep into learning about fats, not just oils. Its research-based, in-depth, and mind-blowing.
This is a lot to take in, I know. As I always say, one step at a time. Take in what you can and process it at your own pace. Start by replacing any unsafe oils you have at home with safe ones. Then choose the right safe fat with the right cooking method and temperature. From there, be mindful of when you go out to eat and choose dishes that have less of an opportunity to be cooked in industrial seed oil.
One more thing – fats are needed. Fats are good for you. So, eat more healthy fats, such as avocados, wild-caught seafood, and sprouted nuts/ seeds, and choose safe cooking oils. You’ll notice a difference and you’ll have peace of mind knowing you're choosing nutrient-dense foods and saying buh-bye to chemicals and toxins in your food.
You’ve made it this far – I’m proud of you. If you have questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me!
Sources
Barringer, C., LaFont, V., McReynolds, K. (2019). What is the Healthiest Cooking Oil? A Comprehensive List of Safe and Unsafe Oils for Cooking. Retrieved from https://nutritionaltherapy.com/what-is-the-healthiest-cooking-oil-a-comprehensive-list-of-safe-and-unsafe-oils-for-cooking/
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser.
Kresser, C. (2019). How Industrial Seed Oils Are Making Us Sick. Retrieved from https://chriskresser.com/how-industrial-seed-oils-are-making-us-sick/