oil on a plant based diet Archives

Are All Oils Bad?

Or should I eat one and avoid another… Read on to find out: are all oils bad?

My name is Kelly Gibson and I am a Nutrition Coach in Chandler Arizona (not to be mistaken with a Nutritionist or Dietitian). I have been following an oil-free diet for the past 2 years. I’m also a Personal Trainer and when I talk to my Personal Training clients about Nutrition I get asked the question “why?” all the time. Before I answer that question let me be honest with you. Unless I am cooking 100% of my meals from scratch, it’s quite difficult to eat an oil-free diet. When I go out to eat, I typically ask for steamed vs fried vegetables and ask for sauce on the side. When I shop for groceries I make sure most of the foods I buy don’t contain oil; I do have a hard time finding oil-free selections when it comes to frozen meals, sauces, and salad dressings (to name a few). Sometimes, there’s just no way around it if you want a specific item, even if I take the time to read ingredient labels. Most menu items at my favorite restaurants in Tempe and even pre-packaged foods at grocery stores across the East Valley already contain oils. Heck – I can barely find more than 3 gluten-free vegan cookbooks that offer oil-free recipes! That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but it does mean I have limited options when I am already eating gluten free and vegan. Of course, if I made homemade meals for everything I ate then I would not have a problem. I would say I eat about 95% oil-free (as often as I can). So are all oils bad or should I pick and choose a certain one?

nutrition-coach-and-trainer-kelly-athletics — *Kelly Gibson, Certified Nutrition Coach*

I’m not too worried about that 5% oil though, because there is truly no person on the planet who eats a perfect diet and there are, in fact, some benefits to having healthy fats in your diet. Personally, I choose to get majority of my healthy fats from whole food plant-based sources. Some good examples of healthy fats are nuts, seeds, avocados, and some fruits. But wait… everyone has told you that fruits are sugar. Some may argue this, but the truth is, fruits have healthy fats, proteins, and fiber too! Take a banana for instance. It has all of those nutrients, but yes – primarily made up of nutritious fruit sugars.

I studied Plant-Based Nutrition at eCornell University and they discuss the benefits of eat oil-free and also the cons with eating oils. Even though it may come from plants, oil is 100% fat (To be more specific, 100% of calories come from fat) with no added nutrients. This not only weighs you down because it is more dense than protein and carbs which are both 4 calories per gram, but it’s much easier to overeat oils because fat is 9 calories per gram. So are all oils bad? Perhaps, if you are looking to lose weight or have low cholesterol.

I also like to make the comparison of olives to olive oil. I add diced or sliced olives to my meals many times if a recipe calls for olive oil. It takes 30 small black olives to equate in calories to 1 tablespoon of olive oil! Our bodies become satiated easier when we take the time to chew our food, which we can’t do with oil. So, oil just simply takes up too many of my calories for the day and I love food too much to sacrifice 30 bites for a little added flavor to my meals. Since I get more bang for my buck when I eat low-fat meals, I LOVE being oil-free.

Coconut Oil – Is it Better or Worse than the Rest? Another downside of consuming oil is that our the endothelial lining of arteries become inflamed within 30 minutes of consuming foods with saturated fats. What does that mean? Increased risk of clogged arteries, heart disease and ultimately – heart attacks. Oils, meats, dairy products, and many nuts contain high amounts of saturated fats. I highly recommend limiting these foods to half a serving per day or replacing them altogether with a healthier source of whole food sources of fats. Omega 3 fatty acids are the most critical in American diets today, mainly because oils represent about 95% of our diets at a 20:1 ratio of Omega 6:Omega 3 fatty acids. Luckily I have swapped it around by eating oil-free and adding foods high in omega 3s such as chia seeds. You can do it too. It’s quite easy!

If you need help with your diet, contact me for support on your journey to a healthier more fit you with Nutrition Coaching. Kelly Athletics provides nutrition services that give you the freedom to choose what you eat. I teach you how to create habits that allow flexibility to enjoy food and eat healthy simultaneously! Whether you are ready for baby steps or diving right in to a new diet, you’ll get results quick with me!

Try one of our Vegan Recipe Plans to experience some oil-free deliciousness!

Written by Kelly Gibson on Sept 15, 2014

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