There’s one thing everyone needs when it comes to cooking, regardless of what diet they’re on, and that is oil. Cooking oil is a staple in every home and one of those products that gets used on a daily basis, but not all cooking oils are created the same way and not all cooking oils are good for you.
I know what you’re thinking, why would they sell oils that are not good for you? Well, a lot of it comes down to the oil’s smoke point. Smoke point is the burning point of an oil or fat, in other words, the temperature in which the oil starts to smoke.
Why does a smoke point in your cooking oil matter?
Most oils are extracted from nuts and seeds through crushing and pressing. If an oil is bottled right after this, it’s known as raw or cold-pressed. Many unrefined oils are packed with nutrients and minerals that don’t do well with high temperatures, these oils are best to use cold dishes.
In general, the more refined the oil is, the higher the smoke point will be. The goal of this process is to eliminate the compounds that make it susceptible to burning fast and to extend its shelf life.
Another important factor in determining smoke point is the relative level of saturation of the fatty acids in the oil. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are more prone to oxidation, and therefore don’t withstand heat as well as saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.
When an oil gets heated past its smoke point, the fat starts breaking down and this releases potentially toxic compounds and free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that have been implicated in the aging process.
It’s important to choose the right oil for your cooking style and needs and to understand which are best for cooking at high temperatures, frying and which are best to use on cold dishes. That’s why I’ve partnered with one of my favorite brands, NOW®, to share with you what are Mama Instincts’ preferred oils for cooking.
Best oils for cooking at high and low heat:
Avocado oil:
This is a staple in my home and honestly, my favorite oil by far because you can use avocado oil both for cooking and on cold dishes. But that’s not all, it’s also great for your skin so you can use it to make your own DIY natural body products with it.
Avocado oil consists of approximately 70% oleic acid, which is a very beneficial fat and what makes this such a good oil. It also has lutein, a great free radical scavenger.
Avocado oil also has a very mild flavor so you won’t be able to taste it in your food. It has a high smoke point of 520° F, which makes this oil perfect for cooking at high temperatures, like stir fry meals and baking.
If you were to have only one oil in your home, you can’t go wrong with avocado oil!
Avocado oil is perfect for:
- Cooking, frying or baking – one of the oils that can withstand the highest temperatures
- To sprinkle/drizzle on cold dishes
- To use as a finishing oil
- To use on DIY skin care products
Almond oil:
Almond oil is mostly made up of monounsaturated fat, which has positive effects on your heart health and, and may help to maintain cholesterol levels within the normal range.
It’s also high in antioxidants, such as Vitamin E, which is great both for your overall health as well as your skin. As long as you’re not allergic to almond oil, this oil can be used in DIY beauty recipes because it is very nourishing for the skin.
Refined almond oil has a high smoke point of 430° F, so you can use it for cooking and baking but unrefined almond oil should not be used for cooking. So, your best bet is to use this oil for finishing your dishes with a nutty flavor.
Almond oil is perfect for:
- To sprinkle/drizzle on cold dishes on most dishes once you are done cooking them, sprinkle over meats, pasta or veggies.
- To use on DIY skin care products
Coconut oil
Coconut oil used to be my favorite oil before I discovered avocado oil. I find myself using less and less coconut oil because I don’t like the coconut flavor on my meals but that doesn’t mean we don’t use it at all.
Coconut oil also has a high smoke point of 450° F, which make it a great oil for frying, cooking and baking. It is also great to use on DIY skin care products, and even to make beeswax candles.
Coconut oil have medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), fats that are likely to be burned quickly and provide your body and brain with quick energy. I personally take MCT oil in place of other fats in my diet, which help me manage my weight.
Coconut oil is perfect for:
- Frying or cooking – I prefer to use it for desserts or when frying sweet foods, like pancakes.
- To use on DIY skin care products
- As a mouth rinse (oil pulling) to help keep your mouth clean.
Olive Oil
Olive oil has gotten a lot of good rep, bad rep and in between rep. There’s a lot of conflicting information out there when it comes to cooking with olive oil and also a lot of conflicting information in regardless to the purity of olive oil.
Due to this, I stick to Ellyndale® olive oil from NOW because they actually conduct Oil Identity Testing to make sure it’s indeed true olive oil and not fake.
Olive oil has a smoke point of 400° F, which makes it a safe oil to cook with as long as you are not cooking in very high temperatures. I personally don’t cook with olive oil because I like to err on the side of caution but it is a staple in my home because we use it quite a bit as a finishing oil and to drizzle on foods. We also love to use it in our homemade body butter.
Olive oil has large amounts of free radical scavengers and supplies beneficial monounsaturated fats. It’s also believed that one of the reasons the Mediterranean diet is so good for you.
So, it’s a great oil to keep at home!
Olive oil is perfect for:
- Cooking, frying or baking under 400° F
- To make salad dressings or to dip bread in
- To sprinkle/drizzle on cold dishes
- To use as a finishing oil
- To use on DIY skin care products
Macadamia nut oil
This is one oil that’s overlooked and not used as often as other oils but one that’s worth mentioning because of its amazing properties. It is abundant in beneficial fatty acids that make it better than many other oils.
It also has phytoceramides, which make it great for moisturizing skin. You can use it in DIY skin care products or straight on your skin as a moisturizer.
It has a smoke point of 390° F making it suitable for cooking, but watch out for smoke if you’re frying or baking at very high temperatures. It also has a buttery flavor so it’s perfect to drizzle on dishes or to use as a salad dressing.
Macadamia oil is perfect for:
- Cooking, frying or baking under 390° F
- To sprinkle/drizzle on cold dishes
- To use as a finishing oil
- To use on DIY skin care products
Palm oil:
This is another oil I love to use for cooking because of its high smoke point of 450° F. Plus it gives your food a nice color so it’s perfect to use when frying fish and chicken or cooking rice.
Palm oil is high in Vitamin E, which helps support your brain cells, bones, liver, heart and skin health. What I also love about it is that one palm oil crops are very efficient – one acre of oil palm trees produces 11 times more oil than an acre of soybean, 10 times more than sunflower and 7 times more than canola.
Palm oil got a bad rep a while back because some countries were not using sustainable farming practices, but thankfully this has changed. You can find certified sustainable palm oil by checking the label on the bottle.
Palm oil is perfect for:
- Cooking, frying or baking
Which oil is right for you?
That depends on your taste buds and your needs, but you can’t go wrong with any of these oils! If I had to choose one oil, I would probably pick avocado oil since it’s so versatile (you can use it for cooking in high temps and also on cold dishes, like salads) but all of these oils are so affordable that it might be worth trying them all!
One thing I do love about buying my oils from NOW is that all of these oils are thoroughly tested, so you know what you are buying is what’s truly on the label. If you want to try any of these oils, NOW has been kind enough to give us a discount code so you can save $10 off when you spend $40 or more. All you have to do is go to NowFoods.com and type the code CAROLINANOW10 at checkout.**
You can also find these cooking oils on Amazon.
What’s your favorite cooking oil? Let us know in the comments!
**Coupon code fine print:
Receive $10 off your nowfoods.com purchase of $40 or more (before taxes and shipping). Must use coupon code CAROLINANOW10 in the Promotion Code field at checkout. Offer only available on nowfoods.com. Offer valid January 1, 2019 through 11:59 PM CT March 31, 2019. Some exclusions apply. Limit one coupon code per transaction. Offer cannot be used on previous purchases. NOW Health Group, Inc. has the right to end any promotion at any time.
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