The first time I heard about olive oil being unhealthy, I was moderating a panel at a Vegan event my church was hosting. That panel consisted of drs, nutritionist, wellness experts and long time Vegans… all agreed that if we want to eat healthier we need stop using all oils in the kitchen. My mind was blown.
I actually thought I was doing something good, by switching from Crisco (and meat fat) to olive oil before I became Vegan. I can’t tell you how many healthy cooking segments and healthy on line recipes had me thinking olive oil, coconut oil or even avocado oil was healthy. But this panel said “no”. And they’re not the only ones.
Basically, those reasoning of those who are for keeping oil out of the kitchen, is that oil is oil. One panelists, that day, shared that while some oils, like olive oil, are not as unhealthy as others, at the end of the day they say all oils are unhealthy. But why?
According to the Center For Nutritional Science… eating oil could impact arteries, leading to decreased blood flow; interfere with your digestion and gut health; and cause weight gain (because of extremely high calories). Science that supports all oil as unhealthy says the risks far outweigh the benefits often reported with eating healthy oils, like olive oil… benefits such providing the body with antioxidants, helping to prevent strokes and heart disease.
Of course there are those who disagree with this science of all oil being unhealthy, so you need to do the research for yourself. As for me, I am giving up oil for the next four weeks as part of the Daniel Fast. I am writing this two days in and I have to say, it is really tough trying to figure out how to cook without olive oil or even coconut oil or avocado oil as a back up.
Here are some tips on cooking without oil I found around the web and plan to test out:
Sautee vegetables: Use water and/or vegetable broth
Roast vegetables: Steam thicker veggies first and then roast in oven
Frying: GET AN AIR FRYER. That’s all I got.
Baking: Apple sauce is a great substitute in recipes. Not sure what you use to keep baked goods from sticking to pans. Open to suggestions.
Since that panel I moderated almost 2 years ago, I have considered giving up cooking with oil. But I am not there yet. What about you? Let me know if you have given up cooking with oil or would even consider it.
Feature image photo: Roberta Sorge