The Healthiest Cooking Oils, Plus When To Use Them: From Canola To Coconut

Olive oil. Canola oil. Coconut oil. Wheat germ oil. Yep, you read that right. All these options and more are available in grocery stores and honestly, we don’t know what’s what either. Lucky for us, MyFitnessPal (MFP) — the leading (free!) calorie counter app — has our back.

The results of their recent member survey showed one, cooking with vegetable shortening (read: harmful fat) is still a thing; two, most users stick to olive oil, probably because three, over half of them think it's the healthiest option. Spoiler alert: it's not.

Yes, there's that one study that found olive oil can protect you from hypertension. And another study that found when it's supplemented with the Mediterranean diet, olive oil also reduces peripheral artery disease, a disease that causes plaque build-up in the arteries that carry blood to your head, organs, and limbs. Not to mention the additional reserach that shows this cooking staple promotes brain function and can help women live longer.

But, as MFP also found, olive oil is sensitive to high heat. And when an oil starts to smoke, it produces fumes and harmful free radicals — the molecules associated with disease, such as cancer, strokes, and cataracts. Which is why it's best to use it only for baking, oven-cooking, sautés, and stir-frying.

How then do you prepare the rest of your meals, like pan-seared steak? Classic canola oil has a neutral flavor and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are necessary for a healthy heart. Some research even suggests it helps patients suffering from type 2 diabetes.

Or, if you're in the mood for marinara, coconut oil, with it's mild to moderate flavor profile, has proven to be a worthy contender. Though coconuts are high in saturated fat, it has a neutral impact on cholesterol, contains antimicrobial properties and is rich in antioxidants and vitamin E. The latter means it's an equally effective beauty oil. Using it as a conditioner prevents hair protein loss and damage, and using it as a moisturizer can reduce the effects of aging.

That weird-sounding wheat germ oil? It's also great for sauce, super flavorful and high in vitamin E. Better yet, it's high in polyunsaturated omega-6s, which are the fatty acids that promote skin and hair growth, bone health, regulate metabolism, and help to maintain the reproductive system.

Yet, these two healthy, alternative oils are only the beginning. MFP found a total of 14 healthy oils you could, and should, be cooking with. To make it easy, they've categorize each one based on flavor, best cooking use, and noteworthy nutrition in the infographic below.