Healthiest types of oil

[brewstate]

Since you guys seem to know EVERYTHING, I was wondering what i the healthiest type of oil to cook with and which should I absolutely avoid? I have organic extra virgin conconut oil that I use a lot in baking but don't care for some of the flavors it gives certain food when pan frying. Is there a better alternative? I've heard something about olive oil breaking down at high heats and I don't know many other kinds except canola, which I believe is supposed the be bad for you Also my DH has hypothyroid so I want to avoid soy as much as possible.

Help!

[mom23kids]

I had been using olive oil, but then read/heard that cooking it/high heat can make it toxic I've switched to canola oil which I heard was supposed to be good for you and can be heated up ok, I think

[brewstate]

I keep going to the store planning on buying something new but the choices overwhelm me and I can't remember if it was grapeseed, or sunflower, or safflower that is supposed to be healthy. I feel like the person given a choice between a beautiful woman and a tiger and I don't know which room to choose

[JayLynn]

I do use coconut oil for sauteeing and frying. I might be wrong here, but I think extra virgin is the kind you want so you don't taste it in the food. I use Trader Joe's organic virgin coconut oil and I don't notice it in eggs or veggies or fish that I pan fry.

Also, if you don't have to use really high heat, butter is a great cooking fat. I buy kerry gold or a Homemade butter I buy at an independent market that doesn't as brown quickly as regular butter.

When I fry or scramble eggs I use either bacon fat and CO or butter and CO. Its yummy!

I think grapeseed oil is also good for cooking but can't remember for positive. I'm sure a google would clear it up. And I'm thinking any of the nut oils would be good too. I use walnut oil, sometimes in muffins.

I think good fats are important to good health. And they help me feel full after I eat.

[angie1]

I use olive oil and butter when cooking all my low-carb recipes!

[Zib]

Smoke Point of oils from "The Science of Good Cooking" (Cook's Illustrated)

Coconut Oil 385
EVOO 410
Peanut Oil 446
Corn Oil 455
Canola Oil 457
Lard 464

Like JayLynn, I've recently started buying grapeseed oil (smoke point 420) and am using it for baking as well as for some frying.

[svenskamae]

I cook with butter and coconut oil and drained bacon fat, and use olive oil for cooking too but try to keep the temperature a bit lower for that. I use olive oil and nut oils and avocado oil to make salad dressings.

I never use canola oil. It gets marketed as "healthy," because it has some Omega 3 content, but it goes through high heat processing/chemical treatment under production, just like probably rancid oils like soybean and cottonseed oil.

I use Mary Enig and Sally Fallon as my guides for which oils are healthiest.

[tobelowcarber]

I cook with EVOO, Ghee (clarified butter), Butter, Rice Bran Oil.
For deep frying (which I barely do these days) I go with rice bran oil or ghee, as EVOO can brake down at very high temp. Rice bran oil is also great for making mayo, as the flavor is very mild.

[piratejenny]

I guess it all depends on what your concerns are--MUFA/PUFA content, smoke point, how quickly it goes rancid, source (nut, grain, legume)?

Personally, I use ghee (I make it myself) for stuff like eggs & sauteeing veggies;
peanut oil for general use & deep-frying,
and sesame oil for stir-frying.
I also save bacon fat and use that whenever it seems right.

My *personal* logic is (I'm not saying it's scientific logic! ),
I have seen oil rise to the top of peanut butter & tahini jars.
I have no idea how to get oil out of corn or soy!
And I definitely, totally avoid canola oil.

I was excited for a little while about grapeseed oil, which I could get pretty cheaply at my Asian market, but found out it's not that great.

Marika, where do you find rice bran oil? I've been wanting to try it for a couple years but no luck finding it.

[Seabreezes]

Macadamia nut oil is also supposed to be good. I recently read where grape seed oil is ok if you don't want to use olive or coconut oil.

[Carly]

I don't fry often at all, but if I do I use vegatable oil.

I sautee in EVOO and stir fry in sesame oil.

Butter for my eggs.

[dawnyama]

I use butter; extra virgin coconut oil (the one that tastes like coconuts); expeller pressed coconut oil (the one with no coconutty taste) . My DH uses olive oil mixed with butter when stir frying or cooking his eggs. I just got some red palm shortening to use but have not tried it yet. But it is supposed to be good as well.

[wildflower]

I don't deep fry anything. Use butter for eggs, EVOO for other things. EVCO is good, but I generally just add this to my coffee and eat straight.

I don't use any of the other oils, as like another poster stated, they are pretty much rancid -- plus add in the GMO factor. Yuk!

[sunday]

Hmmm, I have never tried grapeseed oil?
I pretty much use EVCO & butter for sauteing/grilling, OO and Avocado Oil in dressings. Butter for baking. I would love to know what everyone uses in cakes and cookies? Not that I bake much, but when I do. I had a friend tell me to try Walnut Oil in cake. What say the JUDDD budds?

[piratejenny]

I would never use oil in a cake if I could use butter.
I even use melted, browned butter in cakes that call for oil.

But, if it was a cake that had nuts in it or if I had to make it dairy-free, walnut oil would be very nice.

[tobelowcarber]

Originally Posted by piratejenny

Marika, where do you find rice bran oil? I've been wanting to try it for a couple years but no luck finding it.

Jenny- I buy it online as I can't find it locally. It is called Tophe and I buy from honestfoods in bulk (I prefer the glass bottles).

[soon]

I use MCT oil the best part of coconut oil. I
use it in salad dressings and small amount for frying I hardly use anything else.

[Gulf Coast Girl]

Originally Posted by soon

I use MCT oil the best part of coconut oil. I
use it in salad dressings and small amount for frying I hardly use anything else.

soon, do you use the MCT oil from Netrition?

Does it (or MCT oil in general) have a taste?

[adillenal]

I buy rice bran oil from Riceland in Arkansas. I buy gallon jugs by the case but then I use it in my goat milk soap but I also use it in the kitchen too.
I buy coconut oil from tropical traditions when they have a sale on gallon buckets and get enough for a year since the shelf life is LONG. I get two kinds. EVCO and the next step down but the organic one. Cook eggs in it every morning. Used to use LouAnna for cooking but it is really cheaper to buy a gallon when on special.
Grapeseed oil has a short shelf life and canola oil - never in my house.

[grammyw/kitties]

Very interesting..I like coconut oil and MCT oil Also I purchased saffflower oil and dont fry much so it is still on the counter

[SICCHI]

I read that coconut oil or coconut butter retains its health benefits at high heat so i use that when i feel like eggs.. olive oil is super good for you, but not on heat. On a salad or drizzled on bruchetta... mmm.... and full of essential nutrients

[Kissa]

I use Rice Bran Oil and Olive oil. And Butter

[lisamt]

I use ghee for cooking eggs, vegetables, and lean meats like chicken. It's great because it tastes like butter but has a higher smoke point. I use extra virgin coconut oil mostly in coffee and LC baked goods.

I've stopped buying mayo because I'm wary of getting too much omega 6 from vegetable oils. If I can find avocado oil at a decent price, I might try making my own!

[sunday]

Originally Posted by lisamt

I use ghee for cooking eggs, vegetables, and lean meats like chicken. It's great because it tastes like butter but has a higher smoke point. I use extra virgin coconut oil mostly in coffee and LC baked goods.

I've stopped buying mayo because I'm wary of getting too much omega 6 from vegetable oils. If I can find avocado oil at a decent price, I might try making my own!

Avocado oil would be wonderful for mayo, but what about rice oil blended with oo? I was wondering for myself and avocado oil is pricey.

[lisamt]

sunday, I'm not familiar with rice bran oil. I'll have to do some reading to see if it's a healthier option than avocado oil.

[sunday]

Lisa, It is supposed to be very healthy and although pricey, not as bad as avocado oil (which I love) as well.