Hey guys, board-certified health instructor Chloe Maleski is here to answer your question about seed oil. Whether you’re wondering if they’re really bad, trying to avoid them while eating out, or scouting for healthy behaviors for kids, you’ll learn some helpful tips and tricks. Got a question you would like to ask our health coaches? Leave it in the comments on the Marks Daily Apple Facebook group or above.
Martha asked:
“Is Seed Oil Really Bad? Are They Moderately OK? They’re among the foods my kid likes to eat! Crackers, granola bars, muffins নয় not to mention when eating out!”
Sigh: I know. Highly refined seed oil is cheap and available everywhere. Yes, we find them among the most common suspects: fast food, highly processed foods and most common foods that are packaged and ready to eat. They also hide where there is less anticipated food, including foods marketed as “healthy” and in restaurants and hot bars that might otherwise go as primal.
Unfortunately, the answer to your first question is yes. That of highly refined seeds and vegetable oils. Worse, even moderately, they can be harmful to health.
Although some people are more sensitive to highly refined seed oils than others, they can cause inflammation in almost everyone. Chronic, systemic inflammation is a curse of modern times. It is involved in countless minor illnesses as well as more serious illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. It also weakens the response of our normal immune system, as the body is preoccupied with active, ongoing inflammation to properly deal with exposure to bacteria, fungi and viruses.
Now, that doesn’t mean you should (or can) avoid inflammatory oils altogether – especially when eating out. Depending on the priorities and circumstances of life, this can be a great place to lean on the 80/20 principle: “In terms of full and sincere commitment, an overall 80 percent compliance with the 10 initial blueprint rules will give a strongly healthy result.”
It is not green light to choose seed oily foods 20 percent of the time. Highly processed, inflammatory oils are never healthy, even in moderate amounts. But if you aim to avoid them altogether and slip a little into the occasion, the overall result will still land in good health. In other words: try your best, but don’t stress about perfection.
Any oil is bad for you anyway?
Asking this question means you already have the track! Once you know what to look for and find reliable staples, it’s easy to avoid highly refined, inflammatory oils.
As a starting point, let’s consider your child’s preferences Since crackers, granola bars, and muffins are usually snacks and treats rather than the primary food source, it’s best not to do so under any circumstances (whether or not they contain unhealthy oils).
That said, sometimes a kid (or adult!) Just wants a muffin. In this case, you should check the ingredients when buying any kind of snacks and treats Canola oil is a particularly common one for which caution is required. Most canola oils are chemically extracted using solvent hexane derived from hard petroleum before other steps such as bleaching and deodorization যার which require heat and heat-generated degradation. No need to remember this description! Just know that canola oil is not a complete or healthy food.
Other common offenders included Soybean oil, corn oil, grape oil and kusum oil. Like canola, they typically go through extensive industrial processing and often come from genetically modified, heavily pesticide-treated crops.
However, not all oils are unhealthy! What’s more, any type of oil production involves a certain amount of processing. The key is to keep them away from pesticide-laden crops that require large-scale processing in industrial plants. You can find and make a simple comparison of healthy and unhealthy oils here Download the Fat and Oil Free Guide here.
“But, Mom …”
Doesn’t that mean store-bought treats? Necessarily! More and more Palio and Primal brands are making helpful changes, including eliminating inflammatory seed oils and choosing better options for you, such as avocado oil and coconut oil. Read your labels closely, stick with brands you trust, and you’ll find healthy alternatives to satisfy that craving for packaged, ready-to-eat snacks and spices.
With a home-cooked card, you and your kids have healthier (or healthier) options! Our extensive recipe archive of primal treats and primal snacks is a great place to start. Also check out NomNom Paleo, where Paleo mom Michelle Tam shares a lot of kid-friendly food and food preparation inspiration.
Going the route above, you might as well Involve your child in this process: Gently plant seeds that “healthy food is delicious and cooking is fun.” Food choices start early and can be very difficult to change later. The smaller the steps you can take now to make healthy changes for yourself and your baby, the less likely they are to become entangled in helpless things later on.
Of course, the thing that rarely works is the pressure on kids’ healthy choices! One of the best things you can do is start eating and living without compromising too much. If you enjoy healthy, tasty food without extra hassle or stress, it will go a long way in nurturing healthy habits in children.
As a primary health trainer, it looks so cool! By simply changing your eating habits and eating habits, you will have a huge impact on what any little one sees.
And time to eat out?
The same goes for restaurants and hot bars: Ask about the ingredients, make polite requests, choose the best available options and remember that 80/20 rule.
Restaurants are often open to fry or grill vegetables and to serve any sauce or dressing on the side. If you find a restaurant willing to cook your meals in butter or olive oil, even better!
As more people make such requests and focus on unhealthy seeds and vegetable oils, more restaurants are taking notice and offering alternatives. As long as you are respectful and acknowledge that not all organizations are capable or willing to replace, asking never hurts and can help create change.
If your kids are watching, even better! This is a great opportunity for modeling type, respectful research and self-advocacy when starting a conversation about why food choices are important.
I understand that these are great things for little ones… and for hardworking parents who have a lot on their plate! Even by asking these kinds of questions and being wary of unhealthy seed oil, you are already doing great.
If you want to backup, consider working with a health trainer! It’s more accessible than you might think, and we can help you map out healthier solutions for you and your family. Visit myprimalcoach.com to check it out and get started!
Is there any initial, kid-friendly behavior to share? Or tips to avoid seed oil while eating out? Drop them or other questions for me in the comments!
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