The Healthiest Cooking Oils, Ranked By A Dietitian

Dietitian comment provided by registered dietitian Melissa Jaeger, head of nutrition at MyFitnessPal.

Here at HuffPost UK, we’ve already asked dietitians to share the healthiest cheese, eggs, breads, and pasta.

And following a study which suggested that switching out animal-based fats for vegetable-based ones might help to reduce dementia risk, we thought we’d ask about cooking oils, too.

We spoke to registered dietitian Melissa Jaeger about the topic.

“Cooking oils can absolutely be part of a healthy diet, but portion size and frequency of consumption are key when it comes to potential health benefits… adding fat also helps our bodies absorb fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) found in other foods in the same meal,” said Jaeger.

“Focus on cooking oils that are naturally liquid at room temperature. These include oils such as extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and rapeseed oil, all of which contain primarily unsaturated fats,” the dietitian said.

Fats which are solid at room temperature, like butter, beef tallow, and coconut oil, contain higher levels of saturated fats. And “High consumption of saturated fats has been linked to elevated risk of heart disease”.

Jaeger pointed out that there are plenty of cooking fat options available, and that “Selecting the right one for your health needs is just one part of the equation, as these oils vary drastically in flavour profile and smoke point, which dictates how you use them when cooking.”

Still, when asked to rank some of the most commonly used oils, she gave us four from worst to best:

Jaeger says she always keeps a bottle of this stuff in her cupboard (ideally, it should never be placed beside your hob).

“It has the highest quality standards of any olive oil and contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which support heart health by improving cholesterol and lowering inflammation,” she explained.

“Studies have also shown olive oil benefits your brain health, with research finding that olive oil consumption supported reduced cognitive decline and enhanced cognitive functioning”.

She uses extra virgin olive oil for low-heat cooking because it has a lower smoke point. “I recommend using it for sautéing over low heat, in salad dressings, or drizzled on a finished dish.”

This “works well for cooking at higher heat, is mild in flavour, and contains a high concentration of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids,” said the dietitian.

“Whilst fewer human studies have been conducted directly on the benefits of avocado oil, initial small studies have shown promising outcomes for heart health benefits.”

It’s high in oleic acid and polyunsaturated fats, and has been linked to better heart, eye, and skin health.

A favourite of the British Heart Foundation, Jeager told us this “versatile” option (which tends to be quite cheap) is a great option.

“Its higher smoke point makes it a brilliant option for higher-heat cooking methods, plus it’s loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids and has the least amount of saturated fat compared to other common cooking oils like sunflower oil and even olive and avocado oils,” the expert said.

As she mentioned earlier, Jaeger said these tend to be made up of mostly saturated fats.

“Consuming high amounts of saturated fats has been linked to negative heart health outcomes in research, and the NHS recommends Brits reduce their overall fat and saturated fat intake and replace it with some unsaturated fats, including omega-3s,” she said.

“So whilst these fats may be used sparingly for high-heat cooking, focus instead on cooking oils that are liquid at room temperature or primarily unsaturated fats.”

Ultimately, she ended, we should “opt for oils with higher amounts of unsaturated fatty acids versus those that are solid at room temperature and contain higher amounts of saturated fatty acids.

“This simple swap supports heart health whilst still allowing you to enjoy flavourful, satisfying meals.”