The best oils for frying: What to avoid on your cheat day
Dr. Adrian Sznajder, a functional medicine doctor from Milan, shares practical tips on social media to improve overall body condition. On a daily basis, he does not recommend deep frying, but he mentions which oils to choose during so-called cheat days.
Many people keep only one kind of oil in their kitchen cabinet, using it for both salads and high-temperature frying. Nutritionists and doctors are increasingly highlighting the risks associated with such carelessness. Each type of fat has a different smoke point, after which carcinogens can form.
Which oils are unsuitable for frying fries?
Doctors who take a sensible approach to a reduction diet often allow a day off, during which you can eat whatever you like without guilt. The next day, you return to your regular diet, and everything is fine. On such a day, you can even make breaded chicken or deep-fried fries.
However, a cheat day does not exempt you from responsibility for your health. Dr. Adrian Sznajder urges not to use soybean, canola, corn, sunflower, and sesame oils for frying due to their low smoke points.
– These oils can form harmful oxidized fats at high temperatures, – we hear in a clip posted on Instagram.
Olive oil is also not a suitable choice – you can only use it for sweating onions or making scrambled eggs, ensuring a moderate temperature on the pan.
Other oils are better for frying
If you decide to deep fry, opt for refined coconut oil, avocado oil, clarified butter, or beef tallow. These fats maintain much higher thermal stability.
The smoke point for refined coconut oil ranges from about 204 to 232 degrees Celsius, while avocado oil boasts even better parameters, maintaining stability up to 271 degrees Celsius.
For animal fats, the temperatures are slightly lower – do not exceed 200 degrees Celsius during frying. It's worth investing in a food thermometer to monitor the temperature – for the sake of your health.
