“What Can I Use Instead of Adding Oils to Food”

I get lots of questions about adding additional oils to foods and here is my answer.

Adding fats to food is not a good practice. New research shows that fats surround each cell in our body and don’t allow insulin to get into the cell and do its job bringing down blood sugar… this is really not good. And with Americans coming down with diabetes right and left adding oils to food is not a good practice.

Keep Disease Away by Not Adding Oil

If a person stays away from added oils they will lose weight and have their cholesterol and triglycerides come down. They will have a lower risk of having cardiovascular disease, strokes, and cancer, and their blood sugar will stay in the healthy range thus helping to prevent diabetes… all of which are great.
So What Can We Do to Get Some Good Fats in Our Diet?

Instead of adding lots of oil lets eat whole foods that contain good fats such as avocados which are very good. Eat one or two avocados weekly and you will have all the good fats you need, and eat 10 or 12 olives weekly. Eat 10 or 12 nuts 2 or 3 times a week and you will obtain good fats for your body. Eat 1/4 cup of flax seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and other seeds and you will obtain lots of great health protecting oils for your good health. And you also get all the great healing qualities of these healing foods at the same time. Plus the fiber which helps to grow probiotic bacteria and boost up our immune system.

What About Coconut Oil?

New studies also show that coconut oil works in the same way as other saturated fats and it’s really not that healthy. It will over time clog arteries and cause cardiovascular health challenges. But having a little whole coconut now and then is fine… we also get the coconut fiber which helps to grow probiotic bacteria in our gut and thus we are healthy.

What About Oils to Frying Pans and Woks?

First of all using oil to fry anything destroys all the nutrients in food. And yes, I do feel fried food tastes really great, but I don’t eat fried foods because they are deadly. But using a little bit of spray organic oil such as olive oil to a cast iron pan or a steel wok is fine. Just us it sparingly… that’s not enough oil to cause any problem. But if you are spraying oil in a pan to the point that your food is coated with oil that’s way too much. Use the least amount of spray oil possible— one or two seconds of spraying is enough.

And there are advantages to using cast iron pots and pans… they provide molecules of iron for the body thus preventing anemia. I have lots of cast iron pans at home.

Try the New Air Fryers

Also, there are new Air Fryers which work great that use air to fry foods instead of oils. Very healthy and they work great… I have an Air Fryer and use it all the time.

Ceramic Frying Pans

Also, there are healthy ceramic lined pots and pans that are none stick that can be used to brown food and do a great job… and they really work great.

What About Oils in Salad Dressings?

First of all, there is no need for oils on salads at all. In fact, my favorite salad dressing is organic honey and mustard… wonderful. And there are tons of great Whole Foods Plant-Based Recipes for fat-free salad dressings… just google “Recipes for Whole Foods Plant-Based Salad Dressings” and they will come up. Plus these dressings are super tasty and easy to make. Another favorite salad dress of mine is straight balsamic vinegar, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, rice vinegar and other types of vinegar… they are all amazing used on salads and are fat-free.

What About Oils for Baking?

There is no need for adding oils in baked goods, instead use organic mashed bananas, organic mashed garbanzo beans and other beans (And they don’t add any bean flavor to baked goods either), organic mashed plums, organic mashed fruit of any kind, and organic applesauce. All of these work great for baking cakes, cookies, just about any baked good. If the baking recipe calls for 1/4 cup of oil add 1/2 cup of one these healthy substitutes or little more. Experiment and find out which oil substitute works great for you.

Many Blessings to Everyone!

Dr. Paul Haider - Master Herbalist