Nut and Seed Oils- Paleo OK?

A dollop of coconut oil in the skillet before a veggie saute, or a nice drizzle of olive oil on your salad are great Paleo-friendly ways to get natural fats into your meals on a daily basis.

But what about other oils, like sesame oil if you’re in the mood for an Asian twist on a meal or some walnut oil for a bit of French flair on your frisee?

As with all nuts, once in a while and in small quantities, these types of oils can be used as part of your Paleo regime.

Why?

• All nuts and seeds are high in Omega 6s, which are inflammatory and low in Omega 3s which are anti inflammatory.
• All nuts and seeds have high levels of anti nutrients, not unlike grains.   The reason we can have nuts and seeds in moderation, compared to having no grains or legumes, is quantity.  A handful of raw walnuts now and then compared to cups of pasta or bagels is the mere fact that eating less of the actual food means less anti nutrients are consumed.
• In terms of cooking, some of the nut and seed oils have very low smoke points, like flaxseed, safflower and sunflower, all of which begin to burn in the low 200s at which point they begin to create free radicals…not good.  (Click here for a handy chart of smoke points of all oils).

If you do partake of any of the oils of the nutty or seedy genre, just make sure that at some point during the day you get a whopping dollop of fish oil into the mix to balance out that Omega 3:6 ratio.