Hi, Friends!  I’ve wanted to do a post on cooking oils for a while now, and since its heart health month, I thought this would be a perfect time!

 

Up until about a year ago, I almost exclusively recommended olive oil and canola oil for cooking.  I recommend them because research has determined them to be the “heart healthy oils.”  While it’s true olive oil and canola oil are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and omega-3s respectively, there is much more to consider when choosing a cooking oil.

Did you know that oils have something called a smoke point, which determines how they will behave at different temperatures? That’s not the only confusing part, though, the processing of oils varies wildly and can impart different properties (desirable and undesirable) on even oil rockstars like canola and olive.  So many of the terms surrounding oils have always confused me so I thought I’d do some research for clarification, here is what I found:

• Unrefined- No chemicals or heat has been used to extract the oil.
• Refined- Has been bleached and/or deodorized during processed, often creating a product with a milder (or no) taste, a higher smoke point, and longer shelf life. Concerns with refined oils have to do with the chemicals used to process the oil making their way into the finished product.
• Expeller Pressed- Uses mechanical separation to squeeze or mill the oils out of the food.  Sometimes this process creates heat via friction which can potentially lead to oxidation of the fats (creating free radicals.)
• Cold Pressed- Uses the same or similar processing as expeller pressed but in a temperature control environment to minimize heating. However, the process will naturally still create some heat.
• Organic- the plant the oil came from was certified organic (meaning no chemicals or pesticides were used- although keep in mind natural deterrents are permissible.)
• Virgin/Extra Virgin- usually refers to olive oil but is sometimes applied to other oils; it means the least processing possible occurred during extraction, and there has been little filtration so you can expect an intense flavor.  To be a real EVOO oil, it should be cold pressed and unrefined.
• Light- almost the opposite of virgin, additional processing leaves this product with little to no odor or taste of the original plant and therefore it is considered “refined.”
• Smoke Point- The point at which visual gaseous products formed (i.e., smoke) via the oxidation (breakdown) of oil.  At this point there the gas will ignite if exposed to an open flame. The by-products created are known as free radicals, highly reactive unstable compounds associated with oxidative stress in the body.

Now that we’ve got that down let’s make sure we are using the right oil at the right time!

(Photo from our Olive Oil Tasting in San Jose Area over Christmas)

Frying and Sautéing

Frying and sauteeing, especially at high heat, is the most important to get right.  Because if you chose an oil with too low of the smoke point, you could risk oxidizing it (again creating free radicals as well as increasing the risk of burning and oil fires), basically turning healthy fats into floating free radicals with a gross burnt taste, ekkk!  The typical recommendation is a smoke point of at least 400F for frying and at least 350F for sautéing. 

Here is a list of unrefined oils that have acceptable smoke points:

• **Palm Oil (455F)
• **Coconut Oil (350F)
• Macadamia Nut Oil (410F)
• *Grapeseed Oil(420F)
• *Sesame Oil (350F)
• *Rice Bran Oil (415F)
• Avocado Oil (350F)

Although I typically recommend unrefined oils to minimize chemical exposure, if none of these are available, consider using a refined oil such as the ones below for this form of high temperature cooking to avoid exposing yourself to unstable free radicals.

• Avocado Oil(500F)
• Light Olive Oil(420F)
• Canola Oil(400F)

*Keep in mind these oils are high in Omega 6 which are more susceptible to oxidation and naturally have a pro-inflammatory effect in our bodies.  Due to the overabundance of omega-6 in our diet, I chose to use them sparingly and recommend my Hungry Hobby RD clients do the same.  

**These fats are high in plant-based saturated fat, these fats are extremely stable at high heat.  

Cold Dressings & Dips

(Photo from our Olive Oil Tasting in San Jose Area over Christmas)

This is where you can safely use just about any oil.  In addition to those listed above, you can also use oils that don’t hold up to heat well or even light, but they supply tons of healthy nutrients and filling fat when kept cold.  Bear in mind a lot goes a long way because these oils tend to be the strongest in flavor! (All values listed below are for unrefined oils.)

• Flaxseed Oil(225F) – a great source of omega-3’s
• Walnut Oil(320F)- another great source of omega-3’s
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil(320F)- great source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat (think Mediterranean diet)
• Hemp Seed Oil (330F)
• Canola Oil (225F)

Baking

For baking your oil needs to be heat tolerant, but not necessarily have to stand up to the high heat of frying.  You can use something in the middle ground, most sources recommend keeping it in the 350’s range, probably one of the biggest reasons coconut oil has become so popular in recent years.  Another promising option could be extra virgin olive oil since coconut oil tends to impart a very specific coconut flavor to baked goods.  You could also try:

• *Soybean oil (320F)
• *Corn Oil (320F)
• [easyazon_link identifier="B00QGWM57M" locale="US" tag="hunghobb07-20"]Peanut Oil (320F) – I often use peanut butter as my only oil in some recipes, and it works well!

*Keep in mind these oils are high in Omega 6 which are more susceptible to oxidation and naturally have a pro-inflammatory effect in our bodies.  Due to the overabundance of omega-6 in our diet, I chose to use them sparingly and recommend my Hungry Hobby RD clients do the same.  

What do I cook with?

After writing this post I took a look in my cabinet to see what I had:

• Cold Pressed & Naturally Refined Avocado Oil- Chosen Foods
• Chipotle Avocado Oil
• Blood Orange Avocado Oil
• Cold Pressed Sesame Oil- Trader Joe’s
• Refined Grapeseed Oil– Trader Joe’s
• Cold Pressed and Unrefined Coconut Oil- Trader Joe’s

Although I’ve got some work to do stocking my cabinets with more cold-pressed unrefined oils, I feel like I have a good variety.  I only use the sesame and grapeseed oils one or two times per month for stir fry’s, so their presence doesn’t bother me, even if they are high in Omega 6 I’m not using them every single day.  

I use the avocado oil and coconut oils the most (and butter, not addressed in this post but its smoke point is around 350F), and I typically rotate them pretty well.  I don’t get too concerned about the saturated fat in coconut oil for myself, or most of my clients, first and foremost my primary concern is with lowering inflammation. I also don’t advise exclusively cooking with coconut oil either, rotating your healthy fats is the way to get the most nutrients!

What oils do you prefer to cook with?

What oils do you have in your cabinet?