Cooking oils are often a topic of confusion when it comes to what’s healthy and what’s not. It’s not uncommon to forget how important it is to take a look at what oils we are cooking with as more times than not we are focusing on the foods we consume as opposed to the oils we cook with. However, cooking oils and which oils we choose plays a big role in overall wellness as some can be detrimental to our health and can lead to inflammation.
In this post, we are going to look at the four best cooking oils that won’t cause inflammation, and then look at the oils we want to be staying away from.
The 4 Best Cooking Oils
#1 Coconut Oil: Coconut oil makes an excellent cooking oil as it has a fairly high smoke point of about 350 degrees F making it a great option for low to medium heat cooking. Coconut oil also contains some impressive health benefits and is a great addition to a healthy diet. Try using coconut oil in place of other vegetable oils.
#2 Olive Oil: Olive oil is another good option, but you will want to stick with low-temperature cooking. You can also use olive oil to drizzle over cooked veggies or salads as this oil holds some great anti-inflammatory properties.
#3 Avocado Oil: Avocado oil can be used for higher heat cooking as it has a smoke point of roughly 520 degrees F. While this oil is on the more expensive side, it makes a great addition to a healthy diet and makes an excellent anti-inflammatory cooking oil.
#4 Walnut Oil: While not as commonly used, walnut oil is great for baking. Unrefined walnut oil has a smoke point of about 320 degrees F, so this oil is ideal for low to medium heat cooking or baking. Walnuts are naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids, so it also adds a nice omega boost to your diet as well.
Now that you know which oils we should be cooking with, it’s important to know which ones we want to stay away from. The following oils are extremely inflammatory, and some can even oxidize in the cooking pan leading to further inflammation. It is best to stay away from these oils completely and choose one of the healthier options instead.
Cooking OIls to Avoid
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Soybean oil
- Canola oil
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
- Any hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil
It’s important to remember just how important cooking oils are. Even though we may only be using a small amount to cook with, some oils such as hydrogenated vegetable oils are extremely inflammatory. By making a healthier choice, and choosing one of the healthier options on this list, you are taking a big step towards reducing your total inflammatory load.