What are the most common oils & fats in our food? How healthy are they?
So many oils, but so little information. When we think of oils, we usually think of individual oils in single bottles. But a variety of oils are also found as ingredients in processed food products. From microwave popcorn to pasta sauce, oils are ubiquitous. At Eatiquette, we want to empower you by providing a practical and handy app to understand better what is in the foods you bring home. Or better yet, compare products before you bring them home. Meanwhile, we offer you helpful educational information too. So let’s lean into oils!
You will find many websites that highlight which oils are considered healthy or unhealthy. But how often are these oils added to products you buy in the store? What are the most commonly used oils? We will cover all that in this post.
Surprisingly or not, almost all (94%) Granola’s contain oil as an added ingredient. Even Muesli’s, which could be considered as more ‘raw’, have 75% oil-containing ingredient lists. Before we dig further into what types of oil these are, we’ll provide you some basics into what makes an oil healthy and or unhealthy.
Trans Fats and Saturated Fats
You hear it all the time, steer clear of saturated fats, and especially avoid trans fat. Trans fats occur naturally in small quantities in animal-derived products, such as milk and meat. Artificial trans fats, also known as “partially hydrogenated oils,” are created by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil, which changes the liquid fat to a solid fat at room temperature. Artificial trans fats were still commonplace in processed foods 5 years ago. However, in 2015 the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that “partially hydrogenated oils” were no longer “generally recognized as safe (GRAS)” and are now banned. The deadline for the final phase-out of these oils from packaged foods was January 1, 2020, so you will rarely find packaged foods containing trans fat.
Fully hydrogenated oils are still common because hydrogenation is used to make products more solid. While these oils don’t contain the artery-inflaming trans fats, they do contain substantial saturated fats. Saturated fats contribute to your risk of heart disease. In 2019, heart disease was the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, and nearly half of all Americans suffered from some sort of heart disease.
Saturated fats also occur naturally in foods. Examples of saturated fats are butter, lard, palm kernel oil, cocoa butter, and coconut oil. You may be surprised that coconut oil is about 85-90% saturated fat, which is why it is often still solid at room temperature.
Review the table below to determine which oils are high in which types of fats. Palm oil (both palm-kernel and -fruit) is the most prevalent oil ingredient found in Eatiquette’s packaged foods database (from USDA’s FoodData central). Olive oil is only found as an ingredient in 6% of the foods and some other healthy fats, such as walnut-, flaxseed-, or sesame oil, are not present in any of the 18,000 products in the Eatiquette database. Increase your intake of these types of oils by purchasing them individually and using them in your home recipes.
Table showing most commonly used oils in grocery products by order of prevalence, and their general composition by saturated fats, mono-, poly- (omega 3/6) unsaturated fats, and other fats.
Eatiquette App & Saturated Fats
You can use the Eatiquette app to help you lower your intake of saturated fat by comparing products. If you want to find the ice cream, cereal, or bars with the lowest saturated fat content, just sort by “saturated fat” from low to high. This indicated by the
We compare like for like so you don’t need to convert or weigh!
Unsaturated Fats
Unlike saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature, unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats can lower the risk of heart disease, which makes them a healthier choice than saturated fats. Two types of unsaturated fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, are covered below.
MUFAs – monounsaturated fatty acids
Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) are called such because they have one (mono) double bond. MUFAs can help to lower the risk of stroke, heart disease, and cancer. If you want to increase your intake of MUFAs look for olive and canola oil especially.
PUFAs – polyunsaturated fatty acids
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are called this because they have more than one (poly) double bond. PUFAs are made up of two classes of essential fatty acids; omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are fats that your body cannot make on its own but are necessary for good health, and so must be obtained from your diet.
Omega-3s Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids may improve cognitive function, as well as lower the risk for heart disease. For more information on the various benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, you can review this fact sheet by the National Institutes of Health.
Omega-3 rich oils are not commonly found in processed foods, as you can see in the table. Increase your omega-3 intake by choosing natural sources such as fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and certain vegetables.
Omega-6s Fatty Acids
Omega-6 fatty acids are healthier than any saturated fat, but they are also considered pro-inflammatory, meaning they can increase inflammation. The healthiest balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is controversial. As the research fueled debate continues, the ideal ratio between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids has yet to be established. Popular opinion says it is best to consume a higher ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids.
The Other Oils in Food
The term “vegetable oil” is sometimes used in ingredient lists (0.4% of products), however, it is ambiguous. Vegetable oil is often a mix of different types of plant-based oils (sunflower, corn, soy, safflower, etc.). Besides this vague term, 7% of ingredient lists contain oils mentioned with “and/or”, leading us to wonder “why not be specific?”. You won’t know what exactly makes up these oil ingredients, including their origin and composition of saturated fats, MUFAs, and PUFAs, so you won’t have control over the types of fats you’re eating.
One percent of products contain fractionated or Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) oil. In a future post, we will get into fractionated oils (MCT), the presence of TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone), and the sustainable nature of some of these oils.
Takeaway: Substitute with Healthy Fats
One of the main takeaways is that it is best for your health to reduce your intake of saturated fats by replacing them with unsaturated fats. Both MUFAs and a blend of PUFAs (omega-3 and omega-6) are better for you than any saturated fat. Research shows that replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats can lower LDL cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease.
How Eatiquette Can Help
Choosing the ideal oil for your diet can be difficult, especially when so many oils are available. If you are concerned about saturated fats, avoid processed foods high in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and hydrogenated oils. The Eatiquette app can help you identify the products you want to avoid. You can personalize your experience of the app by adding “palm kernel oil”, “coconut oil” and “hydrogenated oil” as ingredients of concern. Or you can sort your products of interest by saturated fat content as mentioned above. Eatiquette can make your life easier and healthier.
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