Let’s Chew the Fat on Cooking Oil

Cooking oils are those small kitchen choices that seriously shape how we eat and feel every day. Over time I have gotten much smarter about what I keep in my pantry, which really comes down to four main fats: avocado oil, olive oil, ghee, and canola oil. Each one has a specific role, and together they cover nearly everything I cook. The biggest reason these are the ones I use is their specific Omega 3, 6, and 9 content. For a while, sunflower oil was a huge fad in healthy eating, but it is literally the worst one you can use because it is massively high in Omega 6. Even with a lot of good Omega 3 to balance it out, which most Americans do not get anyway, a high Omega 6 intake causes systemic inflammation. If you want to know the cause of most modern disease, the drumroll leads straight to inflammation.

One thing that may surprise people is that I do not usually sauté with oil at all. I cook mostly with stainless steel pans, and once you learn how to preheat them properly, many foods release naturally without needing added fat. When I do add oil, it is usually for flavor, baking, or a specific cooking requirement rather than a default step. For high temperature needs like roasting or searing, I reach for avocado oil. It has a very high smoke point and a mild flavor that won’t compete with the ingredients. Its Omega 3, 6, and 9 profile is similar to olive oil, but you must do your research. Even some organic brands of avocado oil have been found to be disappointingly rancid. If you think sourcing high quality oil is not worth your time, you are sorely mistaken. Clean eating is one of the main factors in feeling well, so ignoring the quality of your fats is a massive oversight.

Olive oil is where the flavor comes in, but you have to be careful because it burns quite easily. Burning your oil is a huge mistake because it oxidizes the fat, which is toxic for the body. I use it for salad dressings, drizzling over roasted vegetables, or gentle cooking tasks like eggs. Let’s be honest, eggs are going to stick on a stainless pan without some help. A good olive oil adds a depth and richness that other oils cannot replicate. There is a reason why people in the longest lived countries literally bathe in it. For a different kind of richness, I use ghee. Ghee is clarified butter, meaning the milk solids have been removed. This gives it a higher smoke point than regular butter along with a deep, nutty flavor. I like it for grains and dishes where I want butter flavor with more cooking stability. I use it daily with my eggs specifically for the butyric acid. This short chain fatty acid is essential for gut health because it feeds the cells in your colon and reduces inflammation throughout the digestive tract.

Finally, I use canola oil sparingly as my most neutral option. It has an impressive 2:1 Omega 3 to 6 ratio, which is actually very good for a liquid oil. I tend to use it mainly for baking or recipes where I do not want the fat to add a noticeable flavor profile. The one thing with canola oil is that if you buy the cheap kind, it is going to be processed with bad chemicals like hexane. You must go for the high quality organic and cold pressed versions to ensure you are getting the benefits of that Omega ratio without the chemical baggage. Every oil in your kitchen should be cold pressed to ensure the nutrients haven't been destroyed by heat during processing. Your body knows the difference between clean fuel and oxidized trash