Healthy cooking oils: which oil to use for what, and how to choose

There's no single healthiest cooking oil. The best cooking oils are minimally processed, mostly unsaturated fat, fresh, and matched to the heat you're cooking at: extra virgin olive oil for everyday cooking and salad dressings, avocado oil or a traditional fat like ghee for high heat, and flax, hemp or pumpkin seed oil drizzled on cold. This guide is for home cooks who want a short, sensible oil shelf: how the fats differ, what smoke point really means, and which oils we stock for which job.

What makes a cooking oil healthy?

Every oil and fat is a mix of three kinds of fatty acids. Which one dominates tells you a lot about how the oil behaves in the pan and in your diet.

• Monounsaturated fats. The main fat in olive oil, avocado oil and canola oil, mostly in the form of oleic acid. Oils high in monounsaturated fat are fairly stable when heated and are the backbone of a Mediterranean-style kitchen.
• Polyunsaturated fats. These include the essential fatty acids your body can't make: omega 6 fatty acids (linoleic acid, plentiful in sunflower, corn and many seed oils) and omega-3 alpha linolenic acid (ALA), found in flax, hemp and walnut oil. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are the most delicate, so the richest sources are best kept away from heat.
• Saturated fat. Solid or semi-solid at room temperature: coconut oil, ghee and butter, tallow and lard. These fats are very stable at heat and bring a lot of flavour.

A healthy diet leans on oils rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats for everyday cooking, with saturated fats like butter, ghee, coconut oil, tallow and lard used where their flavour and heat tolerance really shine. Beyond the fat profile, three more things matter:

• How it's made. Cold pressed and expeller pressed oils are squeezed out mechanically. Unrefined oils keep more of their natural flavour, colour and antioxidants. Refined oils are filtered and deodorized for a neutral taste and a higher smoke point.
• Trans fats. Partially hydrogenated oils are the ones to avoid. A single-ingredient bottle of olive, avocado or coconut oil doesn't contain them.
• Freshness. Every oil eventually goes rancid. A fresh oil smells clean; a stale one smells like crayons or old nuts.

Smoke point: what it means and why it matters

The smoke point is the temperature at which an oil starts to smoke and break down. Past that point the flavour turns bitter and the oil starts to degrade, so different cooking methods call for oils with different heat tolerance. Smoke points vary from bottle to bottle, so treat these as rough guides.

Smoke point isn't the whole story. Extra virgin olive oil has only a medium smoke point, but its antioxidants help it resist breaking down, so it holds up to everyday sautéing and roasting far better than its reputation suggests.

Extra virgin olive oil: the everyday oil

If you only keep one bottle, make it a good extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin means the oil comes from the first cold pressing of the olives with no heat or chemicals and no refining, so it keeps the fruity, peppery flavour and the natural polyphenols that make olive oil special. Use it for roasting vegetables, sautéing, finishing soups and making salad dressings.

Acropolis Organics olive oils are single-ingredient extra virgin olive oils from Koroneiki olives, grown under the company's chemical-free Bioharvest farming system. The organic 500 mL bottle is our everyday pick, and the 1 L Bio-Harvest bottle is smooth and buttery for households that go through it quickly. For flavour, BioItalia infuses organic fresh garlic into cold-extracted extra virgin olive oil, and makes a chili pepper version too; both are best used cold, over bruschetta, pasta or greens.

Avocado oil for high heat cooking

Avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fats like olive oil, but it has a much higher smoke point and a neutral flavour, which makes it one of the best oils for searing, grilling, roasting at high oven temperatures and air frying. Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray is 100% expeller-pressed avocado oil in a can, with a smoke point of up to about 260°C (500°F). A quick mist coats a baking sheet, a waffle iron or the barbecue grate.

Chosen FoodsAvocado Oil SprayPure avocado oil. Smoke point up to 260°C.Shop →

Coconut oil: virgin, refined or liquid?

Coconut oil is mostly saturated fat, around 80 to 90 percent, much of it lauric acid, which is why it's solid in a cool kitchen and melts on a warm day. It's stable, it's plant-based, and it's a favourite for baking and dairy-free cooking. The three kinds behave differently:

• Virgin coconut oil is unrefined and cold pressed, with a sweet aroma of coconut. Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil is rated for cooking up to 175°C, good for sautéing, roasting and baking. Organic Traditions, a family-owned Toronto company, makes a raw, cold pressed virgin coconut oil in a 1 L jar.
• Refined coconut oil has a neutral taste and handles a little more heat. Nutiva's Buttery Flavour version is refined coconut oil with an organic vegan buttery flavour, a plant-based swap for butter.
• Liquid coconut oil stays pourable even in a cool cupboard, with a delicate flavour for dressings, sauces and sautéing.

Ghee, tallow and lard: traditional fats

Before bottled vegetable oils, kitchens here cooked with butter, lard and beef fat. These traditional fats are mostly saturated and monounsaturated, very stable at heat, and full of flavour.

• Ghee is clarified butter: butter simmered until the water cooks off and the milk solids are strained away. OG Ghee caramelizes the milk solids first for a nutty, toasty flavour and a smoke point of 485°F, and it's made from Canadian butter sourced through farmer-owned co-operatives. AgeScience makes A2 ghee from Canadian dairy farms.
• Beef tallow is rendered beef fat. Allfat renders theirs from grass-fed and grass-finished BC beef suet. Tallow is the classic fat for crisp fries and roasted potatoes.
• Lard is rendered pork fat with a mild, clean flavour. Rise Nutrition grass-fed lard is made in Canada and makes a flaky pie crust and biscuits.

For more on ghee and MCT oil, read our MCT oil and ghee guide.

Seed oils: canola, sunflower and sesame

"Seed oils" is a loose name for plant oils pressed from seeds, such as canola, sunflower, corn, sesame, grapeseed and peanut oil. Most are high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and low in saturated fat. Canola oil is low in saturated fat and rich in monounsaturated fat, with some omega-3 ALA, and its neutral taste makes it a versatile everyday choice for baking and stir frying. High-oleic sunflower oil is bred to be higher in oleic acid, so it's more stable for frying. The biggest difference between seed oils is processing: conventional canola oil and most supermarket vegetable oils are refined, while cold pressed and organic versions keep more flavour.

Sesame oil comes in two styles. Toasted sesame oil is dark and strong, used by the drop. Maison Orphée Organic Unrefined Sesame Oil is pressed slowly from organic sesame seeds and left unrefined, so it's mellow enough to use generously in stir-fries, dressings and bread dough.

Maison OrphéeOrganic Unrefined Sesame OilMild, slowly pressed, 500 mL.Shop →

Finishing oils: flax, hemp and pumpkin seed

Some of the most nutritious plant oils should never see a hot pan. Flax and hemp oil are rich in polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 alpha linolenic acid, and they're delicate. Drizzle them on salads, stir them into hummus, oatmeal or smoothies, and keep them in the fridge once opened.

• Gold Top Organics, a family-run business in Parkland County, Alberta, cold presses organic flax oil from Western Canadian seed without light or oxygen, and it's never refined or filtered.
• Manitoba Harvest Organic Hemp Seed Oil is cold pressed and unrefined, with a mild, nutty flavour.
• Alpha Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil is expeller pressed in Canada, deep green and strongly nutty. Swirl a teaspoon over squash soup, or try it the Austrian way, over vanilla ice cream.

Which cooking oil is the healthiest?

For everyday cooking, extra virgin olive oil is the best all-round choice: high in monounsaturated fats, minimally processed, full of flavour and suitable for most stovetop and oven cooking. Add avocado oil, ghee or tallow for high heat cooking, and a cold oil such as flax or hemp for dressings. Rotating a few good oils, rather than relying on one, gives you the widest range of fats and flavours.

What are the best oils for frying?

For pan frying, stir frying and deep frying, choose a fat with a high smoke point and good stability: refined avocado oil, ghee, beef tallow, lard, or a refined or high-oleic sunflower oil. Extra virgin olive oil is fine for shallow pan frying at medium-high heat. Keep flax, hemp and pumpkin seed oil off the stove entirely.

What are the unhealthiest oils to cook with?

The ones to avoid are partially hydrogenated oils, which contain trans fats, and any oil that has gone rancid or been reheated past its smoke point again and again. Beyond that, it's less about one bad oil and more about using the right fat for the job and keeping it fresh.

How to store cooking oils

1. Keep it dark and cool. Light and heat speed up rancidity. Store bottles in a cupboard, not beside the stove or on a sunny counter.
2. Cap it tight. Oxygen is the other enemy. Close the bottle after every use.
3. Refrigerate the delicate ones. Flax, hemp and pumpkin seed oil belong in the fridge once opened.
4. Buy the size you'll use. Most oils taste best within a few months of opening, so choose a smaller bottle for oils you use rarely. Shelf life is longest for ghee, coconut oil and refined oils.

Make a simple vinaigrette

A homemade dressing is the easiest way to enjoy a good oil raw. Whisk 3 parts extra virgin olive oil with 1 part vinegar, a little mustard, salt and pepper. Swap in balsamic for sweetness, or Filsinger's organic apple cider vinegar from Ayton, Ontario for a sharper, fruitier dressing. A spoonful of flax or hemp oil in the mix adds a nutty note.

Cooking oil questions we hear in the store

Can you cook with extra virgin olive oil?

Yes. Extra virgin olive oil is well suited to sautéing, roasting and pan frying at medium to medium-high heat. Save avocado oil, ghee or tallow for searing and deep frying.

Is coconut oil a healthy cooking oil?

Coconut oil is mostly saturated fat, so most people use it alongside unsaturated oils rather than as their only fat. It's stable at medium heat, plant-based and great in baking and curries. Choose virgin coconut oil for coconut flavour and refined or liquid coconut oil for a neutral taste.

What's the difference between cold pressed and expeller pressed?

Both press the oil out mechanically without chemical solvents. Cold pressed oils are kept at low temperatures during pressing, which protects delicate flavours and nutrients. Expeller pressed oils may warm up from friction, but no extra heat or chemicals are added.

Which oils are best for salad dressings?

Extra virgin olive oil is the classic. Unrefined sesame, hemp, flax and pumpkin seed oil all add flavour and work best raw, so dressings are the perfect place for them.

Shopping for cooking oils at Luminate

Our cooking oils, ghee and vinegars are shelved together in the grocery aisle at both stores and online in our oils and vinegars collection, with dressings and sauces in condiments and dressings. Shelf-stable oils ship across Atlantic Canada in 1 to 3 business days, with free shipping in Canada on orders over $80, and Luminate Express delivers across Halifax, Bedford and Dartmouth the same day when you order by 11 am. Curious which snack makers fry in avocado oil or tallow? See our healthy chips guide.

Product details come from our own product listings. Smoke points are approximate and vary by brand and batch. This article is general information, not medical or nutrition advice.