Why you shouldn't always cook with olive oil (2024)

For the longest time, the only oil I bought was extra-virgin olive oil. After all, it's high in several compounds that are good for our health. For starters, it has heart-healthy antioxidants called polyphenols and monounsaturated fats, which can help lower unhelpful LDL cholesterol and raise beneficial HDL cholesterol levels.

There are also other healthy compounds in olive oil, including oleic acid, oleuropein and elenolide. Each of these special compounds has benefits to our health, including anti-inflammatory effects and reducing cancer and heart disease risk.

Despite olive oil's amazing health benefits, there are times when it's not the best choice to cook with.

When to Use Olive Oil

When you're making salad dressing or sautéing vegetables over medium heat, olive oil is an excellent choice. Since it has a distinct flavor, use it in dishes where you want to taste it—drizzled over steamed vegetables, soup or bread, for example. Olive oil has more monounsaturated fat than other oils, making it a great choice for heart-healthy cooking.

When to Skip Olive Oil

Olive oil has a lower smoke point than some other oils. The smoke point is the point at which an oil literally begins to smoke. Olive oil's smoke point is between 365° and 420°F. When you heat olive oil to its smoke point, the beneficial compounds in oil start to degrade, and potentially form health-harming compounds.

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What to use instead: Canola oil, on the other hand, has a higher smoke point and is a good choice if you'll be cooking over high heat, as when you're roasting vegetables or sautéing food over high heat. It also has a neutral flavor and is packed with heart-healthy alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid), which makes it ideal for baking. It's also cheaper than olive oil, so if you're trying to trim your grocery bill then canola oil is a good option. Most of the canola oil in the United States is made from genetically-modified canola seeds, however, so if that's a concern, choose organic canola oil. Peanut oil has a very high smoke point, and so is also good for high-heat cooking, like stir-frying. Although more expensive, avocado, macadamia nut, tea and almond oils are also good mono-rich choices for everyday use.

Oils You Should Avoid in Packaged Foods