Red Palm Oil - The GOOD Fat You Need!

I am a big fan of fats! The right fat that is. 

And that includes a passion for saturated fats. (Yes, you heard that right. Saturated fats are good fats. Hard to believe, I know. In spite of what ‘they’ say, saturated fats are your friend.) 

Fat makes food taste good, provides satiety, and assists absorption of important fat-soluble vitamins. Even more important is the role fats can play in our metabolism, and our overall health. But beware! Amid all the media hype and misinformation, it’s not easy to discern which ones are actually healthy. 

When cooking with fats, it is very important that we choose a fat that is heat stable – that does not oxidize and create free radicals when exposed to light, heat and oxygen. There’s a lot going on in a frypan! Saturated fats such as ghee, coconut oil, bacon fat, and red palm oil can take the heat! They remain stable and therefore healthy when heated and all of them can be used in your fry pan.  

Consume a variety of saturated fats for their various benefits. Don’t be afraid of them! They are the safe fats for cooking, and good for you too. 

Red palm fruit oil is likely the least understood and least used of these saturated fats, here in Canada at least. Not to be confused with palm kernel oil, unrefined palm fruit oil has a reddish hue that reflects its bold nutrient profile, especially rich in potent antioxidants such as tocotrienols and tocopherols (vitamin E) and beneficial carotenoids like beta-carotene and lycopene, the antioxidants found in carrots and tomatoes, but which occur in red palm fruit oil in much higher concentrations. It’s a super antioxidant food! 

As well, red palm fruit oil is cholesterol- and trans fat–free: this allows it to help protect your brain, heart, skin, and other organs from disease and aging, as well as boost your metabolism and help reduce stubborn belly fat. 

With a high smoke point, it’s a great alternative to olive oil for heart-healthy cuisine. (In fact, we should not be using olive oil for high heat cooking. More on that another time…) 

CHOOSE RESPONSIBLY Not all palm oil is created equally. New Roots’ Red Palm Fruit Oil is from Eco responsibly harvested fruits, is unrefined, RSPO-certified, and is an orangutan- and elephant-friendly oil. Making savvy shopping choices helps ensure that you’re getting the highest-quality, nutritionally beneficial oil and purchasing from producers that prioritize sustainability and positive environmental practices. It’s a win for you, and a win for the environment. 

I love to use red palm fruit oil in sautéing, soups, sauces, stir fries, and rice dishes. It lends a rich, earthy taste and a warm, inviting colour to all of these and helps ensure that we eat a wide variety of healthy fats to create the health and energy we love to enjoy!