How to Avoid Seed Oils this Holiday Season | Zero Acre Farms

How to Avoid Seed Oils this Holiday Season

November 17, 2022

WRITTEN BY: The Zero Acre Editorial Team

Article at a Glance

Introduction

Holidays are often all about indulgences. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas beckon us with festivities full of joy, shared memories with friends and family, and a lot of delicious food.

It can be difficult to be both fully immersed in the holiday festivities and prioritize your health. You may be wondering just how you’ll get through the holiday season without undoing your goal of eliminating seed oils from your diet. We’re here to encourage you that it’s not completely impossible!

We’ve rounded up our top 10 tips below for enjoying the holidays while also avoiding seed oils.

10 Ways to Avoid Toxic Seed Oils Over the Holidays

1. Avoid Fried Foods at Restaurants

When dining out over the holidays, one easy way to avoid seed oils is to steer away from fried foods on the menu. Most restaurants use commercial seed oils for frying because they are cheap, widely available and have a neutral flavor profile. Unfortunately, due to their high polyunsaturated fat content, seed oils are some of the most unstable oils and are the easiest to oxidize, particularly at high temperatures used in cooking.

Reusing frying oil is an extremely common practice in restaurants. Vegetable oil that’s been repeatedly reheated and reused contains significantly more oxidized byproducts than oil used for frying once. And every time a seed oil is reheated or reused, trans fats form from the breakdown of unstable polyunsaturated fats. The more times the oil is used for frying, the more of those harmful trans fats and oxidized byproducts end up in the dish.

Your best bet for avoiding seed oils at holiday gatherings and catered events where fried foods are served is to opt for fresh, baked, grilled or slow cooked options instead.

2. Be Aware of Salad Dressings

It’s true that many salads are brimming with an array of nutrients. Unfortunately, if you flip over the bottle of most store bought salad dressings, you’ll find that they’re almost always made with some type of seed oil. The best way to limit seed oils in your salad dressing is to make it yourself using better oils like Zero Acre oil or a carefully sourced olive oil.

3. Make Holiday Treats Yourself

One of the largest shares of seed oil in the food system comes from ultra-processed, packaged foods. If you’re hoping to reduce your seed oil consumption around the holidays, make some of your favorite treats yourself. Homemade holiday goodies also make great gifts for friends and family.

4. Swap the Oil in Your Favorite Recipe

If your favorite heirloom recipe calls for canola oil or another vegetable oil made from seeds, consider using Zero Acre oil, which behaves like vegetable oil in recipes without the unhealthy profile.

5. Bring Your Own Dish to Share

Holiday gatherings are great times to bring a seed oil-free dish (or two) to share. You can rest assured you’ll have something delicious to enjoy without hidden seed oils.

6. Eat Before You Go Out

Eat something before heading out to ensure you’re able to avoid getting “hangry” around a table full of fried appetizers.

7. Educate Family and Friends About Seed Oils

Bringing your own dish to a gathering is a great way to open a door to a conversation about the ingredients you chose to use. Share with family the increasing use of vegetable oils and their potential health risks.

8. Ask About Ingredients

It might seem like a hassle to ask your server about the oils and fats in their food, but it can be helpful. If you find out a dish is made with seed oils, inquire about less offensive options.

9. Look at Labels

Seed oils lurk in unexpected places. Flip over the label on a jar of pre-chopped garlic, and you might find canola oil. Checking labels can help identify new seed oil-free alternatives.

10. Gift Zero Acre Oil

Wrap up a bottle of Zero Acre oil as a holiday gift. Your foodie friends will appreciate the chance to try out a new ingredient.

The Takeaway

The holidays are a time of celebration and memory-making. It’s possible to enjoy the holidays while limiting seed oil consumption with a few key tricks. Seed oils are prevalent in our food supply, and advocating for change is a step towards better health.