Whole30 cookbook and seed oils

[drag0nga1axy]

Hi, so I have been using the official Whole30 cookbooks for the duration of my reset, but the use of oils in the cookbooks perplex me. There are recipes that call for sesame seeds oil for instance, when in the "It starts with food" book specifically says it is bad. Additionally, the "It starts with food" book recommends only using olive oils for dressings and toppings that don't require heat, however I've seen a few recipes that bake with it. I'm not understanding what the reason behind the discrepancy is.

Thanks.

[kirbz]

Perhaps this will shed some light: https://forum.whole30.com/topic/3105-sesame-oil-confusion/.  

 

[kirbz]

There's also a section on vegetable oils here: https://whole30.com/2015/01/rules-recommendations/. :-) 

[drag0nga1axy]

Thanks for the links. Unfortunately, both links still reference "cold" uses, with the exception of restaurant cooking. The cookbook specifically calls for baking with sesame or olive oil. I guess I'm less concerned with compliance (I'm in my reintroduction phase at this point) and more trying to understand why. Why highly recommend not cooking with seed oil and then include it in the cookbook? I want to be able to make healthy choices going forward and understanding the "why" is very important to me. I loved the "It starts with food" book and downed it in less than 2 days. It sparked a level of understanding I've never had before and I just can't get enough.

[kirbz]

I totally get you. I LOVED It Starts with Food because I also question the "why" in everything. And inconsistencies drive me crazy too.

Here's how I think about it.

These oils are not recommended. They are not ideal. But the detrimental impact to your health is not sufficient enough that the Whole30 program eliminates it. And so, it becomes about balance. I think Whole30 tries to balance being appetizing and accessible while also being the most nutritious program it can be. And so, it tells you that something isn't ideal but sometimes still includes a recipe that calls for it because people like it (and it's easy to find and it's cheap) and they like recipes that have it to create a familiar or comforting taste. 

For me personally, I occasionally cook with sesame oil when a delicious recipe calls for it. Because I like the taste. But, I buy Primal Kitchen dressings over Tessemae's every single time because they use olive oil (which isn't a seed oil and isn't recommended to be limited) instead of sunflower oil. Because I've never, ever had a need for sunflower oil. 

Just my two cents... 

[SugarcubeOD]

Usually a recipe that calls for sesame oil isn't done at high heat - such as pan frying... Sesame oil in a frittatta that is baked or drizzled in to a pot of something at the last step doesn't usually reach the high heat needed to start breaking down the fragile oil... 

@kirbz is right that the Whole30 is a balance - if you did research and were not comfortable with eating sesame oil that had been heated in a baked dish, then it's definitely your perogative to not use it.  Often people do the research and then find that if they made the baked dish once every couple months that even tho the seed oil might suffer a bit, it's not really that impactful to their health overall - not like you were sauteeing with it and using it daily at high heat.  We definitely encourage people to research things they read or hear, even from the Whole30 books and on our sites/social media