What's the Deal with Seed Oils?
You may have heard the topic of seed oils come up, and you may know that we at Prept Meals never use seed oils. We wrote an informational blog about it last year, sharing with you the oils we do use, so we wanted to get a bit more into the details & answer any questions you may have about seed oils.
What are seed oils?
Seed oils fall under the umbrella of vegetable oils, and are extracted from plant seeds. Commonly used seed oils include corn, sesame & canola oil. Other seed oils are grapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower & sunflower that we may see at the market, also fall into the seed oil category. Seed oils are so prevalent that they're used in foods ranging from everyday snacks and restaurant food, to baby formula.
All vegetable oils are not seed oils, there are some that are not made from extracting oil from seeds, but still can be categorized as such, like peanut or soy bean oil.
Why are seed oils used?
In our culture, everything is about convenience, and as the commercial food market has grown exponentially over the last century, it only makes sense to use the oils that are readily available and easy to use. Seed oils like corn and canola are so easy to find that they've easily become a staple for us, everywhere. Along with availability comes a low price, making it a tempting choice.
When the focus on dieting was low-fat eating, we did away with animal fats & oils and replaced it with vegetable oils, and canola oil was widely marketed as the healthiest oil. Seed oils like canola are lower in saturated fat, so the reasoning behind this can be understood, on the surface.
Why are seed oils unhealthy?
One reason why seed oils are considered to be unhealthy is the way the oils are extracted. Chemical extraction is commonly used. The chemical extraction process often includes adding a solvent called hexane, which is known to cause all kinds of nerve damage, and even neuropathy. Not to say that this will happen, it comes from prolonged or excessive exposure, but we don't want any chemicals, right? 'Nuff Said!
If oils use a cold-pressed process, you get the best of the fruit (olive, coconut, etc.), or whatever the oil is being extracted from. But the process of extraction seed oils often includes refining, cleaning, pressing, and even bleaching. The purpose of these processes is for uniformity in flavor, but valuable nutrients are lost with these processes.
Perhaps the most well known reason that seed oils are considered unhealthy is the amount of omega 6 fatty acids. We know that omega 3s are good for you, but too much omega 6 is the opposite. A good ratio of 1:1 for omega 6 and omega 3 is ideal, but with an unbalance diet, and the use of too much processed seed oils, you could have as much as 10:1 imbalance.
Staying Ahead of the Game
Since our inception, Prept Meals has been dedicated to delivering healthy, and delicious foods to your door, so one of our top priorities has always been to use no seed oils. We're glad to see awareness grow with this topic, and very happy to offer the best of healthy meal delivery in San Diego!