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Cooking Oils 101

Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, CPT

How do you decide which type of cooking oil to use? Perhaps you have one type of oil you like to use when sautéing vegetables and another for baking? There are a variety of different types of oils we can choose from and loads of things to consider when choosing...What are Cooking Oils?Cooking oils are made from plants or animals, and are used in baking, sautéing, frying, and in salad dressings. Plant oils:

  • Avocado

  • Canola 

  • Chia 

  • Corn 

  • Cottonseed

  • Flaxseed

  • Hemp 

  • Olive

  • Palm Tree/kernel

  • Peanut

  • Sesame 

  • Soybean

  • Sunflower  

  • Coconut

  • Safflower

  • Grapeseed

  • Rice bran

  • Walnut

Vegetable oil is typically a blend of two or more different types of plant oils, such as corn and sunflower.Animal fat and animal products can be made into cooking oils. These include: 

  • Butter 

  • Ghee

  • Lard (e.g., pork fat, duck fat, etc.) 

  • Tallow (e.g., beef, mutton) 

Cooking Oils: Flavor, Selection, and StorageSome oils contribute a desired flavor to a dish, like when you use sesame oil in Asian cooking, olive oil with a seafood or pasta dish, or a nut oil in a salad dressing. Other oils are useful because of their neutral flavors. Think canola, corn, soybean, sunflower and safflower oil. These are often used in baking or in recipes where you want the flavor of the food itself to take a starring role. After oils are extracted or pressed, they can either be bottled immediately or refined and processed. Oils labeled unrefined, cold-pressed, raw, or virgin have a more pronounced flavor. Refined oils undergo more processing such as filtering or heating that results in a more neutral flavor, longer shelf life, and often a higher smoke point.Any type of oil can become rancid when exposed to oxygen, heat, and light, so if the oil smells off, throw it out! For food safety reasons, don’t reuse cooking oil. Oils high in polyunsaturated fats such as flaxseed, chia seed, hemp, sesame and nut oils oxidize more quickly and should be kept in the refrigerator.Cooking Oils: Let's Talk CostJust like other types of foods, the price of oils used in cooking has increased dramatically over the past two years. Part of the reason for the increase is the fuel industry is buying large amounts of soybean, canola, and palm oil which has caused these prices to double or triple. According to the Economic Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture, grocery store food prices in general are 13% higher in September 2022 vs September 2021 and are expected to continue to increase into 2023. Nut, avocado, and extra-virgin olive oil tend to be more expensive than safflower, sunflower, or canola oil. Here are some tips for saving money on cooking oil:

  • Choose store brands that offer the same quality at a lower price.

  • Larger chain stores like Walmart, Target, and Costco tend to have lower prices for all types of oils.

  • Use more expensive oils as drizzles on top of salads or in sautéed veggies. That way, you'll get the most flavor bang for your buck.

  • Use the less expensive refined oils for baking. That's when you use larger amounts of oil and the flavor isn’t important.

By Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCESFor more information about cooking oils, visit the post The Health Impact of Cooking Oils: A Comparison and/or Cooking Oil Smoke Point Chart.References:

  1. American Heart Association. Healthy Cooking Oils. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/healthy-cooking-oils  last reviewed 4-24-18; accessed 10-29-22

  2. University of Rochester Medical Center. Cooking Oils: Which one when and why? https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/publications/health-matters/cooking-oils-which-one-when-and-why posted 6-15-15; accessed 10-29-22

  3. Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Medical School. The Truth About Fats: The Good, Bad, and In-between. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-fats-bad-and-good  published 4-12-22; accessed 10-29-22

  4. Bhat S, Maganja D, Huang L, Wu JHY, Marklund M. Influence of Heating during Cooking on Trans Fatty Acid Content of Edible Oils: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2022 Apr 2;14(7):1489. doi: 10.3390/nu14071489. PMID: 35406103; PMCID: PMC9002916.

  5. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Omega-3 Fatty Acids Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/ updated 7-18-22; accessed 10-29-22

  6. American Heart Association. Monounsaturated Fat. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/monounsaturated-fats  last reviewed 6-1-15; accessed 10-29-22

  7. MasterClass. Cooking Oils and Smoke Points: What to Know and How to Choose the Right Cooking Oil

  8. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cooking-oils-and-smoke-points-what-to-know-and-how-to-choose last updated 8-4-21; accessed 10-29-22.

  9. Spectrum. 1-2-3 Cooking; Using the Right Oil for the Right Reasons. https://welllifefm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/oil_kitchen_guide.pdf  accessed 10-29-22

  10. Food Business News. Oil prices doubling, or even tripling, makes fry life a priority. https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/18707-oil-prices-doubling-or-even-tripling-makes-fry-life-a-priority published 6-10-21; accessed 10-30-22.

  11. USDA Economic Research Service. Summary Findings Food Price Outlook 2022 and 2023. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings/  last updated 10-25-22; accessed 10-30-22.

  12. Heart-Healthy Oils: They're Not All Created Equal. Judith C. Thalheimer, RD, LDN. Today's Dietitian. Vol. 17 No. 2 P. 24. February 2015.