Choosing and Using Cooking Oils: What To Use and When

Cooking with oils is a big part of many recipes and adds flavor to your dishes. But navigating which oils are best — or worst — for your health and your recipe can be a challenge. There are a lot of options, after all.

Confused about which oils are healthy and which aren’t? Which to use for searing vs. stir-frying, baking vs. sautéing?

You’re not alone!

Registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, helps break it all down by explaining how to choose the best oil to get the right taste and the most benefits for your health.

Choosing healthier cooking oils

Before we start, it’s helpful to understand what oil is and what makes one oil healthier than another.

You may know that oil is made up of fat. And while many diets suggest cutting down on fats (rightfully), the truth is that some fats are better for you than others. This means that the kinds of fats in your oil are what make one healthier than another.

Unhealthy fats

These are the fats to look out for:

• Saturated fats, which are commonly found in butter, whole milk, yogurt, cheese, lard, bacon fat, fatty cuts of red meat, the skin of poultry, coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oils.
• Trans fats, which should be eliminated from a healthy diet. They’re commonly found in packaged and processed foods. The words “partially hydrogenized oils” are a red flag for these fats.

“Unhealthy fats raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, leaving you at a higher risk for heart disease and stroke,” Zumpano explains.

Healthy fats

Other fats are healthier. They lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise your HDL (good) cholesterol. But Zumpano reminds us that too much of any fat isn’t good for your health, so even these better-for-you fats shouldn’t be consumed excessively.

• Monounsaturated fats are commonly found in foods like olives, avocados and nuts (and their associated cooking oils).
• Polyunsaturated fats are also commonly referred to as omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. You’ll find them in oily fish, like salmon, herring, tuna and mackerel, as well as walnuts, chia seeds and flaxseeds.

Choosing the best cooking oils

The best heart-healthy cooking oils are ones that are lower in saturated fats. But it doesn’t end there.

“When you’re choosing an oil for cooking or baking, you want to think about its health implications, of course, but also the way the oil reacts to heat,” Zumpano notes. “Some oils are better suited for higher heats, some for lower heat, and some shouldn’t be heated at all.”

The difference is the smoke point. That’s the temperature that causes oil to start smoking, which produces toxic fumes and free radicals. If your oil starts smoking in your pan, you should toss it out and start again to avoid unhealthy byproducts.

Oils with higher smoke points can be used at higher heats. Generally, the more refined the oil, the higher the smoke point.

Different oils also can bring different flavors to your meal. That’s a two-edged sword. The right flavors enhance your meal or, in some cases, make for an inedible disaster. (We’ve all been there!)

Best oils for searing, browning and deep frying

These cooking oils have a very high smoke point, meaning they can take a lot of heat before they start smoking. That makes them well-suited to cooking at higher temperatures.

Remember that just because you use a healthier oil doesn’t make cooking methods like deep frying or pan frying automatically “healthy.” Zumpano says that frying uses a lot of oil, which can negate the healthy qualities of any oil. For a healthier alternative to deep frying, consider air frying.

Best oils for baking, oven cooking and stir-frying

These cooking oils have a medium-high smoke point, making them good choices for use in the oven or in a stir-fry.

Best oils for light sautéing, sauces and low-heat baking

These cooking oils have a medium smoke point, making them good choices for dishes that don’t require high heat.

Best oils for dressings, dips and marinades

These oils shouldn’t be used for cooking, but are great used in mixes.

Other healthy and delicious choices for no-heat recipes are toasted sesame oil and extra-virgin olive oil.

Olive oil is the healthiest go-to

Not everyone has the cooking acumen (or cupboard space!) to keep an inventory of various oils on hand, of course. Add to that the fact that storing oils for long periods of time can ruin their health benefits, and Zumpano says you’re usually best off sticking to just a few kinds of oil in small amounts.

Store them in a cool, dark and dry place, and be sure to replace any that smell bitter or “off.” Check the best-by date because oils should be used within 30 to 60 days after opening.

If you’re looking to narrow your oils and pick the healthiest choices for a range of uses, Zumpano recommends extra-virgin olive oil as best in show.

“Olive oil has been proven to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (good cholesterol) levels when it’s used to replace saturated fat, such as butter,” she adds.

It also contains beta-carotene and vitamins A, E, D and K, plus many more healthful nutrients that have beneficial effects on almost every bodily function.

Extra-virgin olive oil (also known as EVOO) has the lowest oxidation rate of any cooking oil, too. Translation: It’s less prone to promoting free radicals — chemicals that are highly reactive and can damage cells. Oxidative stress caused by free radicals can lead to cancer and other diseases. Extra-virgin olive oil also is an excellent source of antioxidants, which fight off free radicals to protect cells from the damaging effects of oxidative stress.

And if you need another reason to consider extra-virgin olive oil, it also contains hydroxytyrosol, an organic compound with anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Tips to keep your consumption low

Remember: All oils are fats and just because some are better for you, doesn’t mean you should drop your guard completely. At 9 calories per gram, fats are far more calorie-dense than carbohydrates or protein — which have 4 calories per gram. Keep your fat intake between 25% and 35% of your total daily calories.

You’ll get more benefits from extra-virgin olive oil and other healthy choices by using them for a quick sauté, rather than, say, dunking a slice of ciabatta in oil as an appetizer.

“When it comes to cooking oil, more quality and less quantity,” Zumpano advises. Some studies have shown benefits to consuming up to 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil per day, but that would take the place of all other oils and added fats. Quality is key.”