What is avocado oil?
Is avocado oil better than olive oil?
Should I be using olive oil or avocado oil to cook?
These are all very valid questions that are very popular these days with the #1 health trend the ketogenic diet. This diet that is high in fat and low in carbohydrate makes it so that many women are asking what is the best sources of fat for their newest diet.
I wrote a book on the ketogenic diet way back in 2014 before keto was known to mainstream health & wellness industry. Today I teach women what’s next after keto…I developed the Going Beyond The Food Method™️ a proprietary methodology that helps women make peace with food and their body. Chronic dieter and body shy women become intuitive eater & body confident women that live a full life unconditionally. If a life without dieting is something that sounds interesting I’d love to meet you.
Back to the topic of avocado oil versus olive oil. Let’s look at the difference and understand which one would be best for you.
Avocado oil
Similar to olive oil, avocado oil is one of the few cooking oils extracted directly from the fruit rather than chemically extracted from seeds. Avocado fruit contains around 30% oil and it is extracted in a similar way to extra virgin olive oil. Very little processing is required to extract avocado oil compared to all seed oils (canola, sunflower, safflower, etc.).
Avocado oil is a very healthy cooking oil that has an extremely beneficial fatty acid profile, good levels of antioxidants and other healthy compounds. It also has a very high smoke point which makes it great to use for frying. So is avocado oil better for frying? You bet!
Avocado oil is high in oleic acid – a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Avocados contain powerful phytonutrients like beta-sitosterol which has been shown to lower cholesterol. It also contains glutathione which provides protection against certain types of cancer, as well as a powerful vitamin concoction of E, C, K, B6, potassium, and folate.
Actually, in all of these ways, it’s superior to the much more commonly used olive oil. Here’s why:
Cooking with avocado oil
Avocado oil has a mild, nutty flavour that pairs well with many ingredients. Because avocado oil has a natural buttery taste, it’s a great substitution for butter or margarine. I love it in salads, salsas, fish marinades and bread dips but mostly use it in cooking.
For those who bake, avocado oil maybe a better choice in recipes instead of coconut oil which has a strong aroma.
Frying with avocado oil instead of olive oil is also a better choice. As with coconut oil, avocado oil is one of the best possible oils to have your kitchen for cooking.
Refined avocado oil has a very high smoke point – usually between 480 and 520 F. This makes it a great choice for stir-fries and other dishes which required high temperatures. Extra virgin avocado oil has a smoke point of 400 F.
The smoke point for olive oil, by comparison, can vary greatly depending on the grade of the olive oil and its processing. Low-quality olive oil such as those brands that say “light” are generally cited at the highest smoke point of around 430 F. which may be ok for frying on medium heat.
On the other end, extra virgin olive oil can have a smoke point as low as 220 F. which is definitely not suitable for high-temperature cooking or pretty much any kind of frying. Consuming “damaged oil” such as seed oils or overheated olive oil can lead to inflammation and prevent you from achieving your health goals.
Is avocado oil better?
I think that both oils have a place in our diet. Both are nutrient-dense and have many health benefits.
If you need versatility and have a limited budget I would choose avocado oil over olive oil. Because it can be used for baking, cooking, frying and for salad dressings, you will only need that one bottle for everything.
Personally, I have both extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil in my pantry. I use my EVOO for cold use such as salad dressings and reserve my avocado oil for frying, baking and BBQs.