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Cooking oils can make or break how healthy a meal is, but navigating cooking oil options can be confusing!
In this blog post I break things down into three categories:
There are three main oil properties to focus on when choosing your cooking oil: saturation, smoke point, and process . I’ll dive into each of these in detail below.
The saturation of oils determines their stability.
Polyunsaturated oils are unstable , meaning that you have to be more careful when cooking with them at higher temperatures. Examples include flax, corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, cottonseed, and sesame oils.
Monounsaturated oils are more stable , meaning they are less apt to become denatured when cooking with them. Examples include avocado, olive, peanut, and canola oils.
Saturated oils are very stable and are not likely to denature when cooking. Examples include coconut oil, butter, and ghee.
Trans fats are made after oils go through a process to add hydrogen, which allows them to be solid at room temperature. Trans fats are associated with many health risks , such as increasing unhealthy cholesterol levels and elevating the chance of strokes and heart attacks.
Examples include margarine, plant-based butter substitutes, vegetable shortening, partially hydrogenated oils.
Where are these oils found? Trans fats can be hidden in popcorn, non-dairy coffee creamers, frosting/icing, fried foods, and baked goods (muffins, cakes, pastries and doughnuts, etc.).
A smoke point is the highest temperature at which an oil can be heated before it breaks down and oxidizes , creating dangerous compounds. (Click here to learn more)
Below is a list of smoke points for common cooking oils:
Cooking oils to avoid because of their processing :
Cooking oils to avoid because of their high omega-6 content (more info on omega-6’s here , here , and here )
Cooking oils/fats to avoid because of their trans fat content:
Avocado Oil
Grass-fed ghee
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Congrats – you are now a cooking oil expert!
Feeling overwhelmed? Just remember to keep these three things in mind:
Be sure to be sure to follow me on Instagram @plateandcanvas for more recipes and nutrition tips!
About THE AUTHOR
Taylor Stolt is an award-winning Functional Medicine Dietitian and women’s health expert. She has transformed her own struggles with hormonal imbalances and poor gut health into a beacon of hope for thousands of women. Taylor is the creator of the Restore Program, a step-by-step guide that shows women how to rebalance their hormones naturally. Her mission is to empower women with practical tools and sustainable habits so women can reclaim their health and feel like themselves again.