Cooking oil. Coconut oil or other healthy alternative?
neely47
Posts: 30 Member
Hello, I am eating healthier and exercising nowdays and am looking to switching cooking oils. I currently use olive oil (the Fillipo Berio brand) but want to switch to a healthy alternative. I tried using coconut oil (virgin, unrefined) to make eggs today but I found the taste of coconuts so empowering that I couldn't eat the eggs and had to throw them out. So, does anyone know if there is a scent-free version of coconut oil or is there an alternative cooking oil that I can use that is relatively scent/taste-free?
I believe there is a refined version of coconut oil that is deodorized but I don't think it has the same nutritional benefit as unrefined?
Thanks
I believe there is a refined version of coconut oil that is deodorized but I don't think it has the same nutritional benefit as unrefined?
Thanks
5
Replies
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Coconut oil isn't really healthier for cooking than olive oil, the smoke point is only slightly higher than extra virgin olive oil. If you're using EVOO, then definitely consider a different higher smoke point oil like light and more refined olive oil or something like refined safflower oil. Avocado oil is great but expensive (at least here) so it's not worth it to me.17
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Hello, I am eating healthier and exercising nowdays and am looking to switching cooking oils. I currently use olive oil (the Fillipo Berio brand) but want to switch to a healthy alternative. I tried using coconut oil (virgin, unrefined) to make eggs today but I found the taste of coconuts so empowering that I couldn't eat the eggs and had to throw them out. So, does anyone know if there is a scent-free version of coconut oil or is there an alternative cooking oil that I can use that is relatively scent/taste-free?
I believe there is a refined version of coconut oil that is deodorized but I don't think it has the same nutritional benefit as unrefined?
Thanks
Any saturated fat will have the same "nutritional benefit" as coconut oil.
Coconut oil is another health scam being perpetrated by woo peddlers like the bulletproof coffee guy.
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/coconut-oil-warning/
https://examine.com/nutrition/21-of-the-best-arguments-for-and-against-coconut-oil/27 -
Not sure why you'd think olive oil is an unhealthy choice or that coconut oil is preferable.
I like olive oil, coconut oil, and also use avocado oil. My view is that olive oil is probably healthier than coconut oil (but no added cooking oil should be used in amounts so high that the difference will actually matter). Coconut oil has a taste that I really like with some things, so for those things (some stir fries or curries), I use it. For other things I prefer olive or avocado. For salads I will always go with olive.11 -
Coconut oil isn't inherently healthier than any other cooking oils.
Why not use oils and fats based on flavors that will compliment your dish and smoke points?
I mainly use olive oil and butter for most of my cooking.11 -
Olive oil probably has as much or more data showing it as a healthy cooking oil as any oil. Coconut does not have the same evidence to back up it's claims. That doesn't mean it's not healthy or there is no evidence, but there is certainly no reason (other than media woo) to think it healthier than olive oil.
Just about all oils offer some health benefits. I mostly use olive oil, but in my house right now you'd find 6 different oils. As well as butter and 2 types of margarine.9 -
I generally use olive oil for sauteeing at a low-to medium temperature and most dressings, grapeseed for anything higher, and canola for baking.If a recipe calls for something specific, I'll use that. (I've got 90% of a bottle of safflower that I haven't used in months, and about 40% of a bottle of toasted sesame that gets used a lot with Asian noodle dishes or tofu marinades.)3
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Why not use a pan that is stick free? You need very little oil or butter.
I have a bottle that I put oil in that I can just spritz it on the pan to help with sticking.
JW, why do you think olive oil isn't healthy? Canola oil is a pretty tasteless oil. The brand of coconut oil I use is pretty tasteless too. I don't notice a coconut taste at all. The brand I have is Spectrum.
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I’ve replaced oils with veg stock when I sauté.7
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Olive oil is pretty decent for you. Grapeseed is a good neutral one with a high smoke point. And avocado.2
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There's nothing wrong with other vegetable oils either: I personally use just a tiny bit of oil spray for eggs, but for sautéing vegetables or pan frying I use good old sunflower oil.2
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There's nothing wrong with other vegetable oils either: I personally use just a tiny bit of oil spray for eggs, but for sautéing vegetables or pan frying I use good old sunflower oil.
There's everything wrong with vegetable oils...... There's as much calories in a teaspoon of oil as there is in 2lbs of broccoli.
Use water in place of oils.
Remember - you wear the fat you eat.45 -
blackcatfitness wrote: »
There's everything wrong with vegetable oils...... There's as much calories in a teaspoon of oil as there is in 2lbs of broccoli.
Use water in place of oils.
Remember - you wear the fat you eat.
Water does not produce the same taste and texture as oil. I would be less likely to stick to my diet if I had to make many taste sacrifices. Calories are irrelevant as long as they're accounted for. Broccoli is not directly substituted for oil... I would not want to have broccoli every time a dish calls for oil.
Remember - insufficient fat intake disrupts hormones, interferes with nutrient absorption, and affects skin and hair.24 -
blackcatfitness wrote: »
There's everything wrong with vegetable oils...... There's as much calories in a teaspoon of oil as there is in 2lbs of broccoli.
1 tsp of oil has 40 calories.
2 lbs of broccoli (which is a silly amount to consume, among other things, vary your vegetables) has 308 calories.
So I don't know where you got that stat, but it's way off.Use water in place of oils.
Many people find that a little oil improves the taste of food and their enjoyment of foods they would otherwise eat less. A little oil (or other fat source) also makes some vitamins more accessible and contributes essential fatty acids. Also, some find more fat in the diet (with the same calories) leads to better well-being, feeling better, and more satiety.Remember - you wear the fat you eat.
No, the CALORIES you OVEReat are the fat you wear. Most probably would not find it difficult to include small amounts of cooking oil or oil in salad dressing in a healthful, nutrient dense, and calorie-appropriate diet.25 -
There is nothing wrong with fat in moderation. Of course, it has calories, but that doesn't make it bad. Without a healthy amount of fat in your diet, you're at greater risk for heart disease*, vitamin deficiencies, lack of satiety, and mood swings.
Source: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/harmful-effects-ingesting-little-fat-2492.html
*Note that the site I'm linking to specifies that the increased risk for heart-disease is reduced by consumption of unsaturated fats and mentions olive oil, nuts, flaxseed, and certain fish.
Fat doesn't make you fat. Ingesting more than you burn makes you fat.
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I think we can all agree the right answer is, replace the oils with bacon grease
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Honestly, most oils are loaded with MUFA/PUFA which are great for you. But ultimately, it's a very small portion of your diet and what is important is overall context... not the individual components. Depending on the foods, I either cook in olive oil, butter or bacon grease (especially my eggs). Every single metabolic marker has improved and I have kept off 50lbs for 6 years or so.14 -
blackcatfitness wrote: »
There's everything wrong with vegetable oils...... There's as much calories in a teaspoon of oil as there is in 2lbs of broccoli.
Use water in place of oils.
Remember - you wear the fat you eat.
There is everything wrong with your recommendations. As others noted, fats don't make you fat. The is just blatantly wrong and misinformed. Second, fats are not only essential but have been shown to improve health (especially Omega3 and other MUFA/PUFA). Additionally, they support hormone regulation and improve things like hair, skin and nails. And third, and this is most important, is that different cooking mediums have different impacts on food taste.9 -
blackcatfitness wrote: »
There's everything wrong with vegetable oils...... There's as much calories in a teaspoon of oil as there is in 2lbs of broccoli.
Use water in place of oils.
Remember - you wear the fat you eat.
"You wear the fat you eat"? Did your grandma tell you that? Total myth. Dietary fat ≠ body fat.
Report back when you make a grilled cheese sandwich with water instead of butter. I'd love to know how great it tastes!
Fat = flavour. Many great chefs will tell you that. I don't want to live in a world without my butter and oils!12 -
blackcatfitness wrote: »
There's everything wrong with vegetable oils...... There's as much calories in a teaspoon of oil as there is in 2lbs of broccoli.
Use water in place of oils.
Remember - you wear the fat you eat.
I've seen that saying before. It's commonly parroted by anorexics who are trying to get deathly thin.
You do realize that fats are essential for numerous bodily functions, right?
And you do realize that there is no net fat storage when you are in a caloric deficit, right?13 -
"You wear the fat you eat"? Did your grandma tell you that? Total myth. Dietary fat ≠ body fat.
Report back when you make a grilled cheese sandwich with water instead of butter. I'd love to know how great it tastes!
Fat = flavour. Many great chefs will tell you that. I don't want to live in a world without my butter and oils!
I am whole food plant based. I do not consume dairy, meat, sugar, processed foods, saturated fats, oils, or caffeine. I have been on this WOE for 3 months and have lost 25lbs and have gained muscle. It’s called the McDougall lifestyle but I’m sure you’ll all quickly scream how dangerous or awful it is.
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We eat from our garden. Can’t beat that. Enjoy your animal flesh16 -
I use butter for eggs, pancakes, etc, coconut oil for quesadillas (tastes good this way, but haven't tried with a lot of other foods due to the flavor), and olive oil for most everything else. We do try to steam our vegetables first, and then add olive oil right at the end of cooking. We don't really do much cooking of meat with oil. More likely to simmer in a sauce or cook in the crock pot.1
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blackcatfitness wrote: »
I am whole food plant based. I do not consume dairy, meat, sugar, processed foods, saturated fats, oils, or caffeine. I have been on this WOE for 3 months and have lost 25lbs and have gained muscle. It’s called the McDougall lifestyle but I’m sure you’ll all quickly scream how dangerous or awful it is.
Okay, but it's also possible to lose weight on plans that include those things. You haven't discovered the sole method for weight loss.
Also, whoever told there there are as many calories in a teaspoon of oil as in 2 pounds of broccoli is wrong. 2 pounds of broccoli has about 300 calories. A teaspoon of oil has about 40.10 -
Nothing wrong with olive oil. It is an unsaturated fat.
I use a silicon brush to lightly oil my pan.
I made roasted Bok Choy and onions last night. I put the cut vegetables in a disposable plastic bag, added a couple tablespoons oil, pepper, and soy sauce. Shaking the bag guaranteed even distribution. Oil makes it easier to evenly distribute the oven heat. I then spread out the vegetables on a lined cookie tray and put them in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. The vegetables came out sweet with just a touch of caramelization. Perfect.4 -
I have used Crisco brand coconut oil and do not bring up the temp to high but cook a little longer on low-med heat. I have not detected any flavor change in this way.2
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blackcatfitness wrote: »
I am whole food plant based. I do not consume dairy, meat, sugar, processed foods, saturated fats, oils, or caffeine. I have been on this WOE for 3 months and have lost 25lbs and have gained muscle. It’s called the McDougall lifestyle but I’m sure you’ll all quickly scream how dangerous or awful it is.
Extremely doubtful, especially with how aggressive that weight loss is, and the fact that it's very difficult for women to gain muscle. If you believe you are, what protein levels are you eating per day and what is your training schedule? It is actually harder for whole plant based followers to gain muscle unless they are eating a lot of soy and following a well structured routine, and more than likely gaining weight. Leucine is low in plant based foods, except soy, which is why meat and dairy are far superior to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and support protein turnover.
It's not dangerous what you are doing, but it also isn't anything special. McDougall is just a plant based fanatic. A lot of what he states about meats and dairy are overhyped and unsupported by a lot of evidence. But if you enjoy the diet, there is nothing wrong with it. Just dont' believe you are gaining muscle.
ETA: a tidbit of information. If you don't eat enough saturate fat, your body will produce it from carbs.. it's that vital.18 -
Hello, I am eating healthier and exercising nowdays and am looking to switching cooking oils. I currently use olive oil (the Fillipo Berio brand) but want to switch to a healthy alternative. I tried using coconut oil (virgin, unrefined) to make eggs today but I found the taste of coconuts so empowering that I couldn't eat the eggs and had to throw them out. So, does anyone know if there is a scent-free version of coconut oil or is there an alternative cooking oil that I can use that is relatively scent/taste-free?
I believe there is a refined version of coconut oil that is deodorized but I don't think it has the same nutritional benefit as unrefined?
Thanks
Olive oil is a perfectly healthy cooking oil. I select my cooking oils based upon what I'm cooking. I tend to use avocado oil for higher temperatures and olive oil for lower temperatures like a quick sautee. I like the taste of coconut so I like using unrefined coconut oil in Caribbean dishes and Thai dishes...I sometimes use it with eggs, but usually butter.
Refined coconut oil won't have the taste.
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I like coconut oil, and it doesnt leave a weird taste in any of my foods. I use it in a lot of cooking and as a butter replacement. but everything in moderation. and if not in food it works well as a hair treatment.2
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blackcatfitness wrote: »
I am whole food plant based. I do not consume dairy, meat, sugar, processed foods, saturated fats, oils, or caffeine. I have been on this WOE for 3 months and have lost 25lbs and have gained muscle. It’s called the McDougall lifestyle but I’m sure you’ll all quickly scream how dangerous or awful it is.
What do you eat?0 -
DJ_Skywalker wrote: »
My eggs taste better with butter or bacon grease. I like pancakes in coconut oil.
I just can't stand coconut oil, with the exception of making fried cheese/mozzarella sticks.
And I have Kodiac pancakes in which I use 2% milk and eggs.3
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