Which oil is best for cooking? Coconut Oil, Butter, Lard, Olive Oil or Something Else?

Which oil is best for cooking? Coconut oil, Butter, Lard, Olive Oil or Something Else?

Hi everyone,

Continuing on trend with providing some tables for your use, I thought I would put together some information around the different types of fats that often get discussed in regards to cooking, so that together we can finally determine which oil is best for cooking.

I selected to showcase the composition of the fat make up in the foods, as well as the omega 3, omega 6, cholesterol and  smoke points, which all seem topical and of relevance in peoples day to day lives when it comes to heart health, internal inflammation, and practical implications when cooking.

In summary, the main “positives” I am usually looking for are:

1. Monounsaturated fat rich oils
2. Not too high an omega 3 : omega 6 ratio
3. For cooking – The appropriate smoke point

Obviously you can not always get the BEST in all categories in the one oil or fat, but you can look for ones that stack up well in one or two categories, and are not the worst in the final category. With this, you can usually make an educated selection on which fat to use whilst preparing a particular dish.

Also, it is a given that the flavour in a dish, and cooking/baking qualities of the fat will play a role too in your final selection. There are also non-nutritive benefits such as antioxidants, as well as different fat soluble vitamin profiles that would all vary and could take this to another level of assessment. However as per usual, for the sake of brevity, I have selected these few key criteria to hopefully assist you make a selection from a point somewhere in-between the macro and micro level of nutrition.

I have highlighted for you:

1. The fats with the best omega 3 : omega 6 ratio.

2. The fats that provide no omega 3’s, and for clarity do not have the best omega 3 : omega 6 ratio (given a lot of the current discussion around coconut based fats).

3.The fats that provide both a rich source of monounsaturated fats and simultaneously have a high smoke point.

As you will see, olive oil stacks up very well (as per usual) for cooking (with avocado oil not being a bad option too – I covered this in detail in a previous post), whilst flaxseed oil can be seen as a great option to use with confidence on cold dishes.

I hope this table proves useful for many of you,

For now,

TD x

Fats and Oils Nutrition Facts – Omega 3 : Omega 6 –  Smoke Point

Data sourced from www.nutrientdata.self.com with help from Felicity Curtin.