Healthiest Cooking Oils (rapeseed or no oil!)

In England, we like our cooking oils. But which ones are better for health? Rapeseed oil is more local than olive oil (responsible for those fields of bright yellow flowers). But is it the healthiest, and what about coconut oil and sesame oil – or even cooking without oil? Let’s find out!

This vegan chocolate cake (Rainbow Nourishments) is oil-free!

Experts say that for a tiny amount of oil (say if you were just shallow-frying something in a pan), just pour the leftover oil in some kitchen roll, and bin. Otherwise, use a cooking oil recycling bin (below).Don’t give leftover fatty foods to garden birds or wildfowl (it smears on feathers, affecting waterproofing & insulation).

Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets (many foods are unsafe near animal friends). Bin allium scraps (onion, leeks, garlic, shallots, chives) and citrus/tomato/rhubarb scraps, as acids could harm compost creatures. It’s okay to put them in food waste bins (made into biogas).

For tinned foods, fully remove lids (put inside) or pop ring-pulls back over holes (and pinch top opening closed) before recycling, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.

What Makes a Cooking Oil Healthy?

Oils are not really ‘healthy’, as they are refined. Brandi (who wrote the cookbook below) never uses oil in recipes, but she does use fats (olives over olive oil, nuts over nut oils).

If you use oil to cook, the smoke point is what determines if it’s healthy or not (Italians may disagree, but olive oil is best for salads, and the best oil for cooking is local rapeseed oil (makes lovely roast potatoes with no goose fat needed).

When cooking, avoid floaty sleeves and tie long hair back, and keep a small kitchen fire extinguisher nearby.

Sunflower oil is cheap and popular and okay in moderation, but not too much. Nutritionist Michaella Mazzoni says that deep-frying with this oil damages the fats like a broken vase (‘it has been put together, but isn’t quite right anymore’).

Coconut oil has more saturated fat than butter (so can raise cholesterol) and is flammable (so take care when cooking). Popular in Asian cooking, the odd creamy coconut curry is not going to harm, but don’t eat this oil every day. Life in balance!

Even Greener Cooking Oil Recycling Bin

If you have a small amount of vegetable oil, just wrap it in kitchen roll and bin. But for larger amounts, pouring down sinks can clog drains and cause ‘fatbergs’ (same with cream liqueurs, just use them up).

One idea to use less oil is an air-fryer (below). But if you use a lot of oil, invest in a cooking oil recycling bin to collect it, then empty at an oil recycling bank.

Reusable silicone tools for air-fryers

England’s top cause of kitchen fires are fat fryers. So it’s great to replace one with an air-fryer instead. UK law is that if you buy a new appliance, the store has to recycle the old one. So take the opportunity to take the rusty old fat-stained chip fat fryer to the shop, and let them recycle it for you!

WAFE Reusable silicone baking tools are good to replace disposable parchment paper, and you can them for ovens to catch oil drips, then wipe clean and toss in the dishwasher, to use again.

Silicone air fryer baskets (also in rectangular shape) are in various sizes (measure your air basket before ordering). The slotted holes and air-flow keeps them clean, and the liners capture oil and large food bits.

Silicone is a food-safe alternative to plastic that can withstand high temperatures and is easily recycled, after years of use.  The kits include a mini silicone oven glove, which provides maximum coverage to fingers up to 220°C, and stays firmly in place.

You can also buy these alongside the matching silicone bread and loaf tins, in space-saving designs that collapse down after use. They’re also good for making layered tortes and homemade pizza.

Keep fresh dough away from young children and pets.

The Vegan 8 (simple healthy plant-based recipes)

Brandi Doming is a former model, who helped heal her husband’s gout, by creating tasty recipes without oil (or gluten). Her book The Vegan 8 has recipes with 8 ingredients or less (not including water and salt).

These recipes are ideal for people who need to lose weight or have been told to eat less oil by their doctors, as the recipes still use healthy fats, but no refined oil.

Recipes include:

• Roasted Gold Potatoes with Rosemary Sauce
• Bakery-style Blueberry Muffins
• Cream ‘Cheese’ Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Cajun Veggie & Potato Chowder
• Skillet Baked Mac n ‘Cheese’
• BBQ Bean Ball Sub
• No-Bake Chocolate Espresso Fudge Cake

To hit the same amount of fat and calories in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, you would need to eat 24 pitted green olives. 8 olives vs 1 teaspoon of olive oil gives a lot more food, with fibre and nutrients. A tiny dab of oil or lots of olives? I’ll take the olives. Chef Lindsay Nixon

Plant-Based Delicious (recipes with no oil or gluten)

Plant-Based Delicious is a book of flavourful recipes that are also super-healthy. The author is a chef  and nutritionists, so combines her knowledge of both areas.

The recipes in this book include:

• Cauliflower Casserole
• Tofu Black Bean Burgers
• Spicy Sheet Pan Cauliflower Tacos
• Rice Poutine with Miso Gravy (not for pregnancy, unpasteurised)
• Tofu Benedict with Corn Hollandaise & Spinach
• Mushroom Lasagne with Kale & White Bean Ricotta
• Moroccan Potpies with Almond Pastry
• Maple ‘bacon’ Cauliflower Steaks with Lentils
• Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Cheesecake
• Double Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
• The Chocolate Cupcake

Neal Barnard MD calls this book ‘a secret culinary weapon’, and it’s loved by acclaimed chef Sarah Britton as ‘food you want to dive headfirst into’.

Originally from Canada, Ashley Madden is a certified holistic nutritionist and former pharmacist, who became interested in anti-inflammatory foods, after being diagnosed with MS. She lives in Taiwan.