What Cooking Oils Should You Use on A Paleo Diet?
Modern foods and ingredients have significantly contributed to the rise in chronic ailments that millions of people suffer. While there are many factors at play in the causes of these conditions, poor food choices coupled with even worse eating habits have given rise to bowel and digestive disorders, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer.
Starting a Paleo diet means reevaluating the foods you eat, the ingredients you use, and the way you prepare your food. This article examines Paleo-friendly cooking oil options that give you a healthier Paleo alternative to common cooking oils.
What Cooking Oils Should You Avoid?
In our previous article, we examined the cooking oils that we should avoid due to being significantly heated during processing which destroys any healthy or beneficial nutrients.
Additional chemicals, additives, and bleaching agents are also used on these cooking oils which makes these types of oils not only not healthy, but potentially dangerous.
The cooking oils you should avoid include:
- Canola Oil (Also known as Rapeseed oil)
- Corn Oil
- Margarine
- Peanut oil
- Sunflower oil
- Safflower oil
- Soybean oil
- Vegetable oil
Each cooking oil listed above has similar manufacturing processes involving high temperatures with a combination of chemicals, solvents, and bleaching agents that strip away potential health benefits.
What Are the Best Cooking Oils to Use For A Paleo Diet?
What are the best cooking oils for a Paleo diet? While being on a Paleo diet requires you to be more conscious of your food and ingredients, an often overlooked aspect of living a Paleo lifestyle is the change in the way you prepare your food at home.
Since changing the way you eat and what you put into your body is the central part of a Paleo diet strategy, it’s important to know which Paleo-friendly cooking oils you can use as a healthier substitute for heavily processed cooking Oils.
Staying on Track
The less you cook, the less cooking oil you use. Crazy right? By planning your Paleo meal choices with responsible and healthy food choices, ingredients, and preparation methods including better cooking oil choices with batch cooking and buying Paleo snacks that taste good help keep your commitment to a healthier lifestyle.
Making the right food choices combined with responsible ingredients and meal choices can help undo years of poor eating habits which have led to chronic conditions.
With the proper mindset, choosing the right food, ingredients, and preparation methods help you stay committed to the Paleo lifestyle, live well, and feel healthy for years to come.
ANIMAL FATS & LARD
While cooking with no oils and utilizing natural fats is one of the simplest ways to prepare food. With a high smoke point, pure animal fats including lard, beef tallow, ghee, and duck fat typically have lower saturated fat levels and help regulate cholesterol levels.
Lard and animal fats give your Paleo meals a sweet and balanced flavor and its high smoke point allows you to sear meat, and fry greens and gives your Paleo meal a crunchy and mouthwatering taste with a sweet and balanced flavor.
Macadamia Nut Oil
Macadamia nut oil has been shown to improve the biomarkers of oxidative stress, and inflammation, and reduce the risk factors for coronary artery disease due to a higher concentration of monounsaturated fats while also having an extended shelf life.
Studies on Macadamia nut oil have also shown improvement in the biomarkers of oxidative stress, and inflammation, as well as the alleviation of some risk factors for coronary artery disease. [15]
With a very high smoke point, macadamia oil can be used for almost any Paleo food prepared by grilling, sautéing, or stir-frying and has a very satisfying flavor.
Source
[15] Garg, Manohar L, et al. Macadamia nut consumption modulates favorably risk factors for coronary artery disease in hypercholesterolemic subjects. Lipids 42.6 (2007): 583-587.
Avocado Oil
Avocados are already known as a superfood with folates that can lower the risk of certain cancers, and decrease inflammation and blood pressure while also improving digestion.
You can use Avocado oil as a salad dressing or for your high-heat cooking needs. Since Avocado Oil has a high Omega 6:3 ratio, it allows the oil to withstand a great deal of heat making it perfect for grilling, searing, frying, and sauteing your Paleo meals.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil contains MCT and Lauric Acid which not only aid digestion but are also known for its s anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties which make a great Paleo alternative to using for cooking.
Coconut Oil is a great replacement for foods and recipes that include butter and can be used to coat pans before cooking, basting and also works particularly well when preparing Caribbean and Asian cuisines.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olive oils are made from the oil of matured olives though with two primary variations, olive oil, and extra virgin olive oil.
This type of Paleo cooking oil is derived from mature olives. Olive oil comes in two types: regular olive and extra virgin olive oil. It is characterized by phenolic nutrients which help maintain your blood pressure while at the same time preserving important polyunsaturated fats.
In addition to bringing a suburb aroma and flavor to your Paleo dish, both regular olive oil and extra virgin olive oil contain antioxidants and monounsaturated fats which help regulate cholesterol and blood pressure levels and make it a popular cooking oil option.
Flaxseed Oil
While Flaxseed Oil isn’t the best for cooking, we added it to the list because it makes a great base for salad dressings.
Palm Oil
With a high smoke point, you can use palm oil for a variety of cooking methods due to it blends flavors well with many types of foods.
Unrefined Palm oils made from palm fruits contain a high concentration of saturated fat while different palm oils can be created with different tastes in mind. There are, however, many methods for creating Palm oil, and choosing one that is carefully crafted without high heat or chemicals is important.
Walnut Oil
Walnut oil tastes great and is packed with antioxidants and is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids regular use can potentially lead to better blood sugar control.
While Walnut oil has a lower smoke point than the Paleo cooking oils on the list, in addition to cooking, it can also be used as a dressing ingredient.
Paleo Snacks & Meal Replacements
From great-tasting Paleo Protein Sticks, Jerky, and Chicken Bites to Paleo Bars including Skinny Bars & MEGA BARS.
We’re committed to providing the highest quality Paleo snacks & meal replacements that give you the essential nutrients you need.
Find the right Paleo snacks that fit your lifestyle, and your taste buds and keep you wanting to come back for more!
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