The Top Oils You Should Avoid

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Here’s a riddle for you…

What’s cheap and abundant and found in just about every packaged food, condiment, and salad dressing?

If you answered vegetable oils, you’re right!

Did you know vegetable oils are some of the worst fats to consume in your diet? They should really be called seed oils, since they often come from seeds, not vegetables, but I digress.

In many cases, vegetable oils are highly refined, meaning they go through lots of manufacturing steps to create a final product. When it comes to food, the less steps and manufacturing involved, generally the better. We want food that’s as close to the source as possible. For fats, this includes using traditional methods like cold-pressing and animal fat rendering(2).

Furthermore, since these vegetable oils are so readily available, they lead us to overconsume poor quality Omega 6’s in the diet - and depending on the overall health of the body, can lead to a pro-inflammatory state. A good rule of thumb is to strive for somewhere between a 1 to 1 and 1 to 4 ratio of Omega 3’s to 6’s in the diet (1). (**When you think of Omega 3’s - think of cold water fatty fish like wild-caught salmon).

Don’t get me wrong, Omega 6’s play an important role in the body. However, we should look to quality sources like those founds in nuts and seeds, and their oils. Some good go-to Omega 6 options are walnuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, and sesame seeds to name a few (2).

So, when it comes to the top oils/fats to avoid, here’s some of the top culprits(2):

  • Soybean oil

  • Canola oil

  • Margarine

  • Cottonseed oil

  • Safflower oil

  • Corn oil

Where are they found?

  • Packaged foods like: cookies, crackers, and many other boxed and prepared foods

  • Frozen potatoes & fries

  • Salad dressings

  • Condiments like mayo

  • Salad bar prepared foods

  • Fake butter spreads

References

(1) Nutritional Therapy Association. Basics of Nutrition Student Guide. Olympia, WA.

(2) Nutritional Therapy Association. Culinary Wellness Pt. 1 Student Guide. Olympia, WA.

Laura Snyder