Not coconut oil! That’s for sure.
Science is one of those fields where things change and new discoveries are made ever so rapidly. That’s why all health practitioners are required to complete a minimum amount of continued professional development courses every year.
If you were to ask most health professionals what the healthiest oils were circa 2011-2014, you’d hear rapeseed, sunflower oil, olive oil and of course, coconut oil.
Science has now taught us that with the exception of olive oil (which truly stands the test of time), all these oils are considered highly inflammatory, and can even contribute towards high cholesterol – and not the good kind (we’ll discuss the different types of cholesterol another day).
So which oils and fats should you utilise in your everyday meals?
Well, that depends on what you want to use them for.
For drizzling on steamed vegetables, salads, or anything which doesn’t require high heat:
-virgin olive oil
-avocado oil
-sesame oil
-flaxseed oil
-walnut oil
For cooking at high temperatures or baking, as these can tolerate a high smoking point:
-ghee (clarified butter which has milk solids removed from it)
-Grapeseed oil (not to be confused with rapeseed oil)
-unrefined olive oil (not virgin)
-avocado oil
*pro-tip: grapeseed oil is great to use in either savoury or sweet dishes, as it has a neutral smell & flavour.
Confession: I no longer cook with oil or any kind of added fat, as this is very inflammatory and has been shown to be carcinogenic and a potential contributor to cancer development.
I do however drizzle my cooked foods in oil after the cooking process, and I utilise other mediums other than fat to cook my foods – and they always come out juicy, tender and feel much lighter on my gut.
Did you find this oils & fats cheat sheet helpful? Do you want me to tell you more about why cooking in oil & fat is unhealthy? Let me know in the comments!