08/03/2026
For every day cooking (medium heat like sautéing, lightly frying etc) or drizzling - olive oil/EVOO, cold pressed rapeseed oil, avocado oil is best and these have health benefits / high in antioxidants too. Coconut oil can be used (although high in saturated fats so consume in moderation). Use other oils such as walnut or sesame if you want to bring different flavours at a low heat or to finish dishes off.
If you’re cooking at higher temperatures then choose refined oils like rapeseed, olive, sunflower etc. refining oils removes stuff that would usually burn quickly, therefore making the smoke point higher. Avocado oil also has a high smoke point. Ghee too, but again, high in saturated fat.
Regarding the “seed oils are toxic” debate, yes the seeds go through a process and have chemicals etc added to extract the oil, but only trace amounts remain in the final product.
They also contain Omega3 & Omega6 (polyunsaturated fats) and neither are bad - we need both - although we could probably do with more omega3 in our diet (oily fish, nuts, seeds…).
When choosing an oil, not only is the smoke point and nutritional profile worth considering, but also your taste preference. Different oils bring different flavours, so it really depends on what you’re cooking / preparing too.
internationalwomensday2026
