Guides & Charts Part I

Cooking with Fats
The following guide to commonly used culinary fats will help you choose the proper fats
for each type of cooking according to their smoke points (Chek 2004, 73). Always use unrefined
organic oils and raw organic butter!
No-heat fats should never be used for cooking:
• borage oil
• fish oil or cod liver oil
• flax seed oil
• hemp seed oil
Low-heat fats should be heated to no more than 212°F:
• pumpkin oil
• safflower oil
• sunflower oil
Medium-heat fats should be heated to no more than 325°F (light sautéing):
• hazelnut oil
• olive oil
• pistachio oil
• sesame oil
High-heat fats should be heated to no more than 375°F (frying or browning):
• butter (for cooking at medium-high heat only; do not allow to turn brown)
• coconut oil
• ghee or clarified butter

Food Choices

For all charts in this section, the “best bet” food items are shaded in gray.