At Kettlebell Kitchen, we care about cooking with the highest quality, healthiest fats and oils we can find. Unfortunately, so much conflicting information on dietary fat exists that lots of folks need to learn some history and context beyond what they might have picked up from current mainstream nutritional advice.
First off, dietary fat isn't inherently bad for you. It won't make you fat or sick if you're choosing the right types of it and using it in the right ways. (The mainstream advice has finally turned on this issue but plenty of people have trouble letting go of old fears.)
So while cooking fats and oils aren't inherently unhealthy, not all fats are created equal. Monounsaturated fatty acids (“MUFAs”), polyunsaturated fatty acids (“PUFAs,” which include both omega-3 and omega-6), and saturated fatty acids (medium-chain, long-chain) each react differently to cooking and also each act differently in the body. Saturated fats' chemical structure is more stable than any unsaturated fats (i.e., both mono- and polyunsaturated) and can better withstand high-heat cooking. Seed oils (often mislabeled “vegetable oils”, presumably to provide a “health halo”) are less stable and therefore likely to oxidize (not a good thing).
While many readily available seed oils advertise a high smoke point, seemingly making them ideal for cooking, the issue is more complicated than that. So much processing (from refining to bleaching to deodorizing) has to occur to take a seed oil that is inherently unstable (because high in both MUFAs and PUFAs) and manufacture its higher smoke point.
To get an idea of which fats are safe to cook with, check out Fats: Which to eat and which to ditch (including this handy PDF download chart).
As a general rule of thumb, minimally processed saturated fats (virgin coconut oil, grass-fed beef tallow, etc.) are safe to cook with due to their inherent stability, but many unsaturated fats (such as extra virgin coconut oil) are better suited to low heat or cold uses such as drizzling over cooked veggies or as a dressing for a salad.
Industrial trans-fats like Crisco, margarine, etc., are never a healthy option, whether cooked or raw, as the body doesn't know how to digest them properly.
History and context
NPR: Who killed lard?
What are safe cooking fats and oils?
Kurt Harris on fats and oils
Good fats, bad fats: Separating fact from fiction
The skinny on fats
Looking at particular fats
The latest studies on coconut oil
The butter manifesto
Whole9's official fish oil (omega-3) FAQ
Compare how virgin coconut oil is made with how canola oil is made (videos)
7 reasons to eat more saturated fat
What your body does with that dietary fat
Why a high-fat diet is healthy and safe
How to eat more fat
What does it mean to be fat-adapted? (plus part 2)
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