We all want to live a healthier lifestyle, and many of us will try multiple different approaches to improving our lifestyles and diets.
However, it can be difficult to know where to start, especially with all the fads out there.
Often, it can feel that taking steps to improve our health means giving up a lot of the things we love.
A good example of this is fried foods, which are delicious, but often not very good for us.
Heating oil to an extremely high temperature, as is required for frying, results in the formation of toxic substances such as trans fats and advanced glycation end products.
However, living a healthier lifestyle doesn’t always require giving up foods you like, and often very small changes to your diet can make a substantial difference.
Certain types of oil are much healthier for shallow frying than others, and Avocado oil is a great example.
This oil has a much higher heat resistance than vegetable oil, which means that it won’t form as many toxic byproducts.
As such, you can use it to enjoy your favorite fried foods, while making them much better for your overall health.
In this article, we will look at a few of the best Avocado oils available to buy, and tell you what makes them so great.
Health Benefits Of Avocado Oil
Before we get into our picks for the best Avocado oil, we thought it would be best to give you a bit more information on why you should start using this oil.
Avocado oil has a very high temperature resistance, which means that you can use it to cook at high temperatures without eradicating its natural health benefits.
But what are these benefits?
Well, for a start, Avocado oil is mainly composed of monounsaturated fatty acids, which are a good kind of fat as opposed to the saturated variety.
This means that this oil can actually help to reduce cholesterol build-up in your arteries and heart.
70% of the fat in Avocado oil is composed of Oleic acid, which is very good for your heart.
This product is also rich in Lutein which is an antioxidant.
Antioxidants help to remove free radicals within our bodies that harm our cells.
Lutein in particular is very good for your eyes and can help to reduce the risk of developing cataracts in old age.
Sometimes our bodies cannot absorb specific nutrients without the help of certain fats.
Avocado oil is full of these fats, and as such, can help you to absorb more of the goodness from whatever you are cooking.
It is not just better for you than regular vegetable oil, it also makes whatever you cook with it much better for you as well.
There are many other health benefits connected with this oil.
Some have found that it helps to alleviate joint pain caused by arthritis, while others claim that it can help to control your blood pressure.
Overall though, the biggest benefit is that it is high in unsaturated fats, which will replace the saturated fats stored in your body to actually help you lose weight in the long run.
If you are looking for a way to get healthy without completely cutting out fried foods, then switching to avocado oil is a great way to do so.
Now that you know about all the wonderful things this oil can do for your body, let’s take a look at some of the best avocado oils currently available on the market.
Kevala Avocado Oil
One issue with food products marketed toward health enthusiasts is that they can be very expensive.
That doesn’t have to be the case with Avocado oil, and this 128 oz bottle produced by Kevala comes at a very affordable price.
This is a great product for catering or bakery businesses, but it works equally well for individual cooks as well, since it will last a long time.
Kevala avocado oil is extracted and refined the old-fashioned way through cold pressing.
This means that no solvents or other chemicals are used in the extraction process and that the oil is naturally refined to give it a higher heat resistance.
The refining process also helps to moderate the taste of the oil to make sure its flavor won’t overpower your cooking.
The avocados used to make this product are also completely GMO-free.
Pros
- GMO-free.
- Cold-pressed without solvents or chemicals.
- Great value for money.
Cons
- Some customers have commented that the quality of this oil is inconsistent between batches.
Also available at Kevala.
Sulu Organic Unrefined Extra Virgin Raw Avocado Oil
Unlike our last product, this avocado oil is unrefined, and as such retains a lot of the strong flavor of the avocados used to make it.
Some people may not like it for cooking, but others will find it lends the oil a buttery smooth texture that goes great with a lot of different meals.
This oil is cold pressed, meaning that no solvents or chemicals were used during the extraction process.
Sulu makes this product from 100% GMO-free avocados, and the only refinement that occurs is to remove any significant impurities.
Since it is not refined, this oil has lower heat resistance, and as such should not be used for cooking over very high temperatures.
Doing so will mean that your oil will lose a lot of its natural health benefits and may spoil the flavor.
However, for drizzling over food, and cooking on low heat, this is a great oil that can also be used to moisturize your skin.
Pros
- The strong flavor makes this oil great for drizzling over food.
- It can be used to moisturize your skin as well as for cooking.
- Completely organic with a beautifully smooth texture.
Cons
- Has a lower heat resistance than refined oil.
Also available on Amazon.
BetterBody Foods Refined Avocado Oil
If you don’t like the taste of Avocado and want an oil that won’t alter the flavor of your food, then this is the product for you.
This avocado oil is refined using natural methods involving cellulose and various filters to give it a very pale color.
The bleaching process also removes any odors for very pure and neutral cooking oil.
Thanks to the refining process, this oil has excellent heat resistance, which means you can shallow fry it without spoiling its health benefits.
It is also completely GMO and Gluten free, making it suitable for paleo and keto diets.
While it may be too pale for some, this oil is a great starting place if you aren’t keen on the flavor of avocados.
Pros
- Neutral oil that won’t alter the flavor of your food.
- GMO and gluten-free.
- Very high smoking point.
Cons
- Very pale and bleached of all colors or odors
Also available on Amazon.
Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
This extra virgin avocado oil is made from 100% cold pressed, California avocados.
The oil has a beautiful green coloration that helps you know it is the real deal.
It is refined very gently using a chilled centrifuge to remove significant impurities without taking away too much flavor or smell.
As such, this oil is perfectly suited for drizzling over salads or other cold foods.
You can fry it as well, but since it is mostly unrefined, you shouldn’t do so over very high heat.
This oil has a buttery, smooth texture that makes it great for baking, and a number of other applications.
Pros
- Cold-pressed and naturally refined to preserve flavor and odor.
- Tastes great when used in cooking or drizzled over salads.
- Suitable for paleo and keto diets.
Cons
- Lower heat resistance than refined oils.
Also available on Amazon.
Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray
Oil sprays are a great way to cut back on the oil you use during frying.
This spray doesn’t use any propellants or other chemicals to force the oil out of the nozzle and instead relies on air pressure alone.
This means the oil is completely pure and uncontaminated for a great cooking experience.
Naturally, since it is in a spray, this oil has been refined to remove impurities that would block the nozzle.
It is completely GMO-free and suitable for almost any kind of diet.
However, some chemical solvents have been used during the extraction process, but this doesn’t really affect the flavor at all.
Pros
- No propellants.
- Made with GMO-free avocados.
- Helps to use less oil when frying.
Cons
- Hexane or other chemical solvents are used during the extraction process.
Also available on Amazon.
Avohass California USDA Organic Certified Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
This is another product made from pure Californian avocados for a rich, luxurious flavor.
It is a little more expensive than the other items we have looked at, but you are paying a premium.
The oil is cold pressed and only goes through the minimum amount of refinement to remove large impurities.
What’s left is a rich, buttery oil that has all the delicious flavors and aromas of the avocados it is made from.
You can tell this oil is high quality just by looking at its deep green coloration.
While it won’t be the best product for those who don’t like the flavor of avocado, this is a very high-quality oil that will vastly improve your cooking.
This oil is so pure, it is also great for use as a hair and skin moisturizer, so you can reap all of the wonderful benefits avocados have to offer.
Pros
- Cold-pressed and lightly refined for perfect flavor and aroma.
- Delicious when used in cooking or when drizzled over cold food.
- Can be used as a moisturizer for your hair and skin, as well as a cooking oil.
Cons
- Expensive
Also available on Amazon.
Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil
This is the same oil that was in the spray we looked at earlier, except this one comes in a standard glass bottle, so you can use it as liberally or as sparingly as you please.
The oil is expeller pressed, which means some chemicals were used during the extraction process.
However, any contaminants added by this method will have been removed during the natural refinement of the oil.
This is another oil that has a very neutral flavor and as such works great for people who don’t want all their meals to taste like avocado.
It is made from GMO – free, organic avocados, which means it is suitable for any type of diet, including keto and paleo ones.
While it may not have a very strong flavor, this avocado oil has excellent heat resistance, as you won’t lose any of the goodness when shallow frying it.
Pros
- Made from GMO-free organic avocados.
- Neutral flavor for frying, baking, and other types of cooking.
- The oil is both gluten-free and kosher.
Cons
- Not the best salad dressing due to the lack of flavor.
Also available on Amazon.
Best Avocado Oil Buyers Guide
There isn’t much that separates the various brands of avocado oil, after all, they are all made from the exact same ingredient.
However, there are a few different factors worth bearing in mind before you buy this oil.
In this section, we will tell you what to look out for when shopping for this product.
Extraction Method
There are two main methods used to extract oil from avocados, which include expeller pressing and cold pressing.
If you want your avocado oil to taste as if it has come from an avocado, then you should look for a product that is cold-pressed.
This is when the fruit is simply squeezed to release its oil.
Since this method doesn’t involve the use of any chemicals, it preserves the natural flavor and health benefits of the avocado perfectly.
Expeller pressing is an extraction method that often uses hexane as a solvent to remove the oil from the fruit.
It can also be done by using a special kind of mill.
Both methods for making expeller-pressed oil will raise its temperature and remove some of the flavors from the oil.
Hence, if you want a neutral oil that won’t affect the taste of your cooking too much, then buying an expeller-pressed product will be the right choice for you.
Refinement
The other thing you should consider is if you want to buy oil that is refined or unrefined.
Refined oil has a more neutral taste, and practically no odor due.
It can easily be identified by its pale color which is much lighter than the deep green of unrefined avocado oil.
This makes it a great product for cooking since it won’t affect the flavor of your meal.
The refinement process also raises the heat resistance of the oil significantly.
This means that you can cook over a higher temperature without the oil losing its natural health benefits.
The unrefined oil has lower heat resistance, and as such isn’t the best for shallow frying or other high-heat cooking methods.
However, this oil has a much deeper color and tastes strongly of avocado.
This makes it a great salad dressing, but it can also be used for cooking over low heat as well.
The residual impurities in unrefined oil may make it go off slightly faster, but this can be prevented by storing it in a cold, dry place away from direct sunlight.
Bottle
If you can, it is always better to buy oil that comes in a glass bottle.
Glass is nonreactive and won’t chemically interact with your oil in any way.
This helps to preserve it for much longer and ensures that its flavor won’t significantly change over time.
Plastic bottles are fine, but they do have the potential to seep chemicals into your oil.
While you may not be able to taste these chemicals, they may negate a few of the health benefits that you bought your avocado oil for in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Other Oils Are Healthy For Shallow Frying?
Avocado oil isn’t the only product that is high in monounsaturated fatty acids.
Oils made from coconut, canola, and olives are also relatively healthy to use when shallow frying.
Both extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil will stay very stable at high temperatures, just like avocado oil.
Because of this, cooking with these oils results in less harmful toxic substances such as trans fats or AGEs (advanced glycation end products).
What Is Good Cholesterol?
Many of us think of cholesterol as an inherently bad thing because of the negative effects it has on our hearts and blood vessels.
This is because most of the bad cholesterol in our bodies is composed of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs).
There is another variety of cholesterol that is made up of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs).
This good cholesterol actually helps to remove LDLs from your blood vessels to reduce the risk of heart attack and strokes.
Avocado oil is naturally high in HDLS while being very low in LDL.
As such, using this oil in cooking is much healthier than using regular vegetable oils.