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Published December 1, 2025
Ever feel overwhelmed by all the options for oils? Which should you be using, and how? Never fear—Publix dietitians are here to answer your questions.
What types of fats are in oils?
Oils can include saturated fats, trans fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. Each oil is classified by the type of fat that predominates in its makeup.
The American Heart Association (AHA)* recommends limiting saturated fats and trans fats because they’ve been found to increase levels of cholesterol. If you need to lower your cholesterol, the AHA recommends reducing saturated fat to less than 6% of your daily calories, which averages to about 11–13 grams of saturated fat a day.1I’m trying to eat healthier, but I’m allergic to coconuts. What oils can be used in place of coconut oil?
While some claim coconut oil is healthier than butter, there’s limited research to support this.2
Choosing a substitute for coconut oil depends on how you’re using it. For high-heat cooking, avocado oil and grapeseed oil are good alternatives. Unlike coconut oil, which is high in saturated fats, avocado and grapeseed oils are rich in unsaturated fats—the kind that support heart health.
What’s the best oil to use for high-heat cooking?
When cooking at high temperatures—like deep-frying, searing, or stir-frying—it’s important to use oils with a high smoke point (400°F or higher).
The smoke point is the temperature at which oil starts to smoke and break down. Breakdown can affect flavor and release harmful compounds like free radicals, which are linked to health risks.3,4 So check the smoke point of any oil you use, and then keep your cooking heat beneath that temperature.
According to Cleveland Clinic* and EatingWell,* great oils for high-heat cooking include avocado, grapeseed, and sunflower, which are heat stable and rich in unsaturated fats that may help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and support heart health.4,5
Note that the American Heart Association recommends limiting fried foods due to the higher levels of saturated and trans fats often used.1
What is the difference between extra virgin olive oil and regular olive oil?
Extra virgin olive oil is unrefined, meaning that it’s made by cold-pressing whole olives without using heat or chemicals. For an extra virgin olive oil to earn its name, it must be lab tested to ensure that it’s fresh, high quality, and minimally processed.
Regular olive oil is mostly refined. It typically has more of a neutral flavor profile and can be lighter in color and aroma than extra virgin olive oil.
Not sure which one to use? Either can be used for sautéing vegetables or making a homemade vinaigrette dressing. They each work well in recipes like our Pesto-Avocado Zoodles. And both are primarily composed of monounsaturated fats, which may protect against inflammation, reduce levels of LDL cholesterol, and decrease blood pressure.6
Looking for an organic extra virgin olive oil? Check out our GreenWise brand.
What types of oils are plant-based?
Some plant-based options include canola, avocado, sunflower, safflower, vegetable, and sesame oils. Each one offers different nutritional properties—check the label to see the breakdown of different types of fats.
Have other questions? We have answers!
Whatever cooking oil you decide to use, know that each one may have a different nutrition composition, and our dietitians are here to guide you and answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to email the team.
For more guidance about lifestyle and food choices, check out “Your Wellness Questions Answered.”
For the love of you.
Choosing how you eat is uniquely personal. It’s about your needs, your preferences, and your goals. As your wellness ally, we’re in your corner with fresh ideas, recipes, and wellness icons that make it easier to shift toward wiser food choices. It’s all about you, at your very best.
Sources
*You are about to leave publix.com and enter a third party site that they operate and control.
1The Skinny on Fats. American Heart Association. Last reviewed February 20, 2024.
2Schwingshackl, Lukas, and Sabrina Schlesinger. Coconut Oil and Cardiovascular Disease Risk. PubMed. National Library of Medicine. May 2023.
3Oils for Cooking: Which Ones Should You Avoid? The Health Sciences Academy. Accessed July 18, 2025.
4Choosing and Using Cooking Oils: What to Use and When. Cleveland Clinic. January 18, 2023.
5Horton, Brierley. Saturated Fat & Unsaturated Fat: What’s the Difference? Edited by Jessica Ball. EatingWell. June 10, 2025.
66 Major Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Cleveland Clinic. January 16, 2024.