Which fats are safe to cook with?

why you need to cook with safe oils

It's important to know which fats are safe to cook with.

Why? Because fats can withstand varying levels of heat. If certain fats are heated too high, they not only lose their nutritional value and flavour, but produce toxic fumes and disease-causing substances.

A fat is considered unsafe when it reaches its smoking point and begins to chemically break down and smoke. This is when its molecules turn into glycerol and free-fatty acids, which break down further to produce toxic fumes and free radicals.

SAFEST COOKING FATS

Ghee, Tallow, Chicken fat, Goose fat, Duck fat, Red palm oil

SAFER COOKING FATS

Olive oil, Butter, Macadamia oil, Sesame oil, Avocado oil, Peanut oil

UNSAFE COOKING FATS

Safflower, Sunflower, Almond, Flax seed, Hemp seed, Black currant seed, Evening primrose, Grapeseed, Walnut, Rice bran, Pumpkin seed

never eat these fats

As an aside, there are some other fats you should NEVER consume because they're unhealthy (toxic, hybridised, rancid, man made, GMO etc).

These include Canola, Rapeseed, Corn, Cottonseed, Vegetable, Soybean, Margarine or Vegetable shortening, Partially hydrogenated fats and Transfats.