The Truth About Seed Oils (And Why I Think You're Asking the Wrong Question)

If you've spent any time on wellness TikTok or Instagram lately, you've probably seen it. The seed oil discourse. The "I only cook with tallow now" era. The graphic that tells you canola oil is basically poison and you should throw out everything in your pantry immediately.

And I get it — when something gets that much airtime, it's hard not to wonder if there's something to it.

So let's actually talk about it. Because I have thoughts.

What's the deal with seed oils anyway?

Seed oils — things like canola, sunflower, soybean, and vegetable oil — have become the villain of the current wellness cycle. The concern is that they're high in omega-6 fatty acids, which at very high levels in the diet may contribute to inflammation. Some people also take issue with how they're processed.

Here's the thing though: the research on seed oils is genuinely not as clear-cut as the internet wants you to believe. The studies that raise red flags are often done in controlled lab settings using amounts of these oils that no normal person is actually consuming. Major nutrition and health organizations — including the American Heart Association — still consider oils like canola and olive oil to be heart-healthy options. The scientific consensus is not "seed oils are killing you." That's a social media narrative, not a medical one.

Now, do I think you should be chugging vegetable oil by the glass? Obviously not. But are you going to derail your health by using a spray of canola oil to cook your eggs on a Tuesday morning? Absolutely not.

But here's the thing — this isn't really about seed oils.

What actually concerns me is not which oil you're cooking with. What concerns me is the pattern I see over and over again with the women I work with: they get so caught up in optimizing every single ingredient, eliminating every "bad" food, and chasing the "cleanest" version of their diet that they end up overwhelmed, inconsistent, and way more stressed about food than they need to be.

And stress about food? That's doing a lot more damage to your health than canola oil ever could.

Here's my actual philosophy, and I will stand on this: a diet that you can stick to — one that fuels your workouts, hits your protein, keeps your energy stable, and fits into your real life — will always beat the "perfect" diet that you can only maintain for three weeks before you burn out and order pizza every night for a month.

Consistency beats perfection. Every single time.

So where do convenience foods fit in?

This is where I'm going to say something that might surprise you coming from a fitness and nutrition coach: I use convenience foods. I recommend convenience foods. And I will never shame you for using them.

Rotisserie chicken? A weekly staple in my house. Pre-washed bagged salad? On my grocery list constantly. Frozen rice packets, canned beans, protein bars, store-bought sauces — all of it has a place in a healthy, sustainable diet. Because here's the truth: the goal is to get your nutrients in, fuel your body, and build habits you can actually maintain long term. The goal is not to make everything from scratch with ingredients sourced from a local farm while also running a business, maintaining relationships, and living your life.

If using a jarred pasta sauce means you actually cook dinner instead of grabbing fast food, use the jarred pasta sauce. If buying pre-marinated chicken means you actually meal prep on Sunday instead of skipping it, buy the pre-marinated chicken. If a protein bar gets you through a busy afternoon without raiding the vending machine, eat the protein bar.

None of these things are failures. They're strategies.

Where I do think it's worth paying attention

I'm not saying ignore your food labels entirely. If you're someone who is eating a lot of ultra-processed foods as the foundation of your diet — things that are engineered to be hyper-palatable and are genuinely low in nutrients — it's worth taking a look at whether that's serving you. Not from a place of guilt or fear, but from a practical standpoint: are you getting enough protein? Are you feeling energized? Are you recovering well from your workouts?

Those are the questions worth asking. Not "does this have canola oil in it."

The bottom line

Eat the convenience food. Use the store-bought sauce. Don't lose sleep over seed oils. And instead of spending your energy trying to make your diet perfect, spend it on making your diet consistent — because that is what actually moves the needle.

If you're genuinely unsure whether your nutrition is supporting your fitness goals — or if you feel like you're doing "all the right things" but still not seeing the progress you want — that's exactly what my nutrition coaching is here for. We look at your actual life, your actual habits, and build something that works for you — no perfection required.