A Guide to the Healthiest and Worst Cooking Oils

Julia Malacoff
Mar 26, 2017

While many people are obsessed with the health benefits of coconut oil for everything from cooking nutritious meals (complete with healthy fats!) to boosting your beauty routine, there are many, many more to choose from that are also great for you. In fact, the variety of options in the grocery store can be somewhat overwhelming if you don’t know what you’re looking for. That’s why we talked to an expert to find out exactly which oils are healthy, which ones you should probably skip, and what to look for when you’re shopping for them.

Oils your body loves

“The best cooking oils and fats come from unrefined animal fats and naturally occurring oils from plants,” says nutritionist Cate Ritter. These oils are higher in saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and omega-3s — all things that are great for your body. “These fats and oils include unrefined coconut oil, unrefined red palm oil, avocado oil, pastured pork lard, pastured beef or bison tallow, duck fat, and grass-fed ghee,” Ritter notes. Of course, organic is best when it comes to all of these products, she adds.

It’s also important to keep in mind what happens when certain oils are heated, the temp can change their chemical composition and reduce their health benefits. “The best oils for raw use are MCT oil (made from medium-chain triglycerides), grass-fed butter, and extra virgin olive oil,” says Ritter. Though olive oil is commonly used for cooking, it loses many of its health benefits in the process, so it’s a good idea to use something different for high-heat cooking. This goes for many other oils made from nuts and seeds, like flaxseed oil, sunflower oil, and sesame oil. Ritter recommends that you “preserve these oils by keeping them tightly sealed in the fridge and use sparingly for raw purposes only. Avoid storing oils in sunny or hot spots, such as by a window sill or next to the stove top.” Two oils that have a very high smoke point and is great for cooking? Palm oil and avocado oil.

As for what to look for on the label, she suggests seeking out products that list just one ingredient and are organic. Keywords like “cold-pressed” and “expeller-pressed” are indicators that an oil is minimally processed and therefore, better for your body.

Grocery List:

  • Raw Use: MCT Oil, Grass-Fed Butter, EVOO, Flaxseed Oil, Sunflower Oil, and Sesame Oil
  • High Heat: Unrefined Red Palm Oil and Avocado Oil
  • Animal Fats: Pastured Beef or Bison Tallow, and Grass-Fed Ghee
  • Look for: Organic and Cold-Pressed Brands

Stay away from these OILS

You probably know that some ultra-processed oils, like corn and canola oil, aren’t great for you. According to Ritter, oils that are man- or machine-made by processing plants using high temperatures, deodorizers, and chemicals are ones you definitely want to stay away from. A few more examples of ones you should skip? Grape seed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil. “Although these are referred to as vegetable oils, they’re not made from vegetables,” explains Ritter. “These tend to be higher in polyunsaturated fats that aren’t heat stable (meaning it’s not a great idea to cook with them).

Unfortunately, many of these oils are also made from genetically modified ingredients. Research shows that as much as 90 percent of canola oil is genetically modified,” she adds. While not *all* genetically modified plants are harmful to your health, there’s growing evidence that certain foods, like soybeans, may carry health risks when genetically modified.

Cooking Oils to Avoid:

  • Ultra-Processed: Canola Oil and Corn Oil
  • High in Polyunsaturated Fats: Grape Seed Oil, Peanut Oil, and Soybean Oil

Mix it up for the best health benefits

Once you figure out which oils you like the most, don’t be afraid to rotate them every so often, since it gives you a chance to ingest a wider variety of nutrients. “For example, grass-fed butter and ghee are good sources of fat-soluble vitamins and conjugated linoleum acid (which has anti-cancer properties),” says Ritter. “Coconut oil is rich in fat-burning medium-chain fatty acids that support metabolism. Avocado oil has even received prescription drug status in France for its ability to reverse arthritis!” Pretty amazing, right?

What’s your favorite oil to cook with? Tell us about it @BritandCo!

(Photos via Getty)

If Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Are Breaking Up Again, I'm Giving Up On Love

There are few celebrity breakups as infamous as those of the 2000s — just looks at Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, and Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck! But when Ben and Jen (or Bennifer, as fans like to call them) got back together in 2021, it felt like a literal movie. In Jennifer Lopez' new documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told, the couple finally reveals why they actually broke up in the first place: "the massive amount of scrutiny around our private life." Here's everything you need to know about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, in the 2000s and now.

Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck's Relationship Timeline

Image via Columbia Pictures

Winter 2002 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Meet On The Set Of Gigli

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck first met while filming their 2003 movie Gigli. "The first time meeting him on that film was at the read-through," Jennifer tells Variety. "I remember kind of just walking in and I think he was outside, smoking a cigarette...I don't remember a whole bunch more about it, but I remember being on the set with him every day and loving it."

Image via Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images

November 2002 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Announce Their Engagement

During an interview with Diane Sawyer at the end of 2002, Jennifer Lopez showed off the engagement ring from Ben Affleck. The platinum band + pink diamond combo is absolutely beautiful, just like the proposal itself. "[It was] traditional, but also in a very spectacular way, as of course Ben would do it," Jennifer says, via ABC News.

"He is brilliantly smart, loving, charming, affectionate," she continues. "And I just admire him in every way. I respect him. I feel like he teaches me things."

Image via Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Early 2003 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Experience The Tabloids Firsthand

Before the age of iPhones and TikTok, celebs constantly dealt with the tabloids — even more than they do now. And as one of the hottest couples in the world, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez constantly faced paparazzi and tabloids. “We didn’t try to have a public relationship,” Jennifer Lopez tells PEOPLE in 2016. “We just happened to be together at the birth of the tabloids, and it was like ‘Oh my God.’ It was just a lot of pressure.”

"People were so f*cking mean about her," Ben Affleck says on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcastin 2021. "Sexist, racist. Ugly, vicious sh*t was written about her in ways that if you wrote it now you would literally be fired for saying those things you said...Now it's like, she's lionized and respected for the work she did, where she came from, what she accomplished — as well she f*cking should be!"

Image via Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

September 10, 2003 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Call Off Their Wedding

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were supposed to be married on September 14, 2003, but four days before their wedding, they postponed the ceremony. "Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date," the couple says in their official statement, via PEOPLE. "When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate 'decoy brides' at three different locations, we realized that something was awry."

"It was so painful after we broke up," Jennifer tells Apple Music's Zane Lowe in 2024. "Once we called off that wedding 20 years ago, it was the biggest heartbreak of my life. I honestly felt like I was going to die. It sent me on a spiral for the next 18 years where I just couldn't get it right. But now, 20 years later, it does have a happy ending. It has the most would-never-happen-in-Hollywood ending."

Image via Barbara Nitke/Courtesy of STXfilms

February 18, 2020 — Ben Affleck Supports Jennifer Lopez In Hustlers

At the beginning of 2020, in an interview with The New York Times, Ben Affleck voiced his support for Jennifer Lopez. "She should have been nominated [for Hustlers]," he says. "She's the real thing. I keep in touch periodically with her and have a lot of respect for her. How awesome is it that she had her biggest hit movie at 50? That's f*cking baller."

Image via Amy Sussman/Getty Images

May 10, 2021 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Take A Trip Together

After Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez broke up in the spring of 2021, J.Lo was seen hanging out with Ben Affleck around Los Angeles. "[Jennifer] spent several days with Ben out of town," a source tells PEOPLE. "They have a strong connection. It's all been quick and intense, but Jennifer is happy."

Image via Amy Sussman/Getty Images

July 24, 2021 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Make Their Relationship Instagram Official

Hidden at the end of an Instagram carousel, Jennifer Lopez posted a photo of her kissing Ben Affleck. "5 2 … what it do …" the caption reads.

Image via Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

September 10, 2021 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Walk The Red Carpet

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck attended the premiere of his film The Last Duel at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. They both looked amazing in old school glam!

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April 8, 2022 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Announce Their Second Engagement

PEOPLE confirmed that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were engaged again in the spring of 2022. Jennifer also revealed the news via email and on social media. "So I have a really exciting and special story to share," she said on Twitter.

Image via Kevin Winter/Getty Images

July 16, 2022 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Finally Get Married!

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck finally tied the knot in July of 2022. Jennifer shared the details about the "best night ever" via On The JLo newsletter (via PEOPLE) the next day. The couple later had a larger ceremony in Georgia.

"It's a beautiful outcome that this has happened in this way at this time in our lives where we can really appreciate and celebrate each other and respect each other," she says. "We always did, but we have even more of an appreciation because we know that life can take you in different directions."

"[Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck] were attentive only to each other, didn't have eyes for anything else," a PEOPLE source said after spotting the couple on their honeymoon in Lake Como, Italy.

Image via Jennifer Lopez/Instagram

February 14, 2023 — Jennifer Lopez Reveals Her Tattoo With Ben Affleck

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck showed off their coordinating tattoos on J.Lo's Instagram. The tattoos (hers of an arrow through an infinity sign on her ribcage and his of two arrows tied to one another) are super cute together!

"Commitment," Jennifer says in her Instagram post. "Happy Valentine’s Day my love."

Image via Monica Schipper/Getty Images

May 3, 2023 — Jennifer Lopez Calls Ben Affleck A "Wonderful Father"

When she was on the Today Show (via Twitter) at the beginning of May 2023, Jennifer Lopez had high praise for Ben Affleck's relationship with all their kids. Jennifer has twins, Max and Emme, with Marc Anthony, while Ben Affleck shares three kids, Samuel, Seraphina, and Violet, with Jennifer Garner.

"He's a wonderful, wonderful father," J.Lo says in the interview. "And a father figure to [Max and Emme] as well, because he has his own three beautiful children, and then there's us...They love him. And they appreciate him, and so do I."

Image via Jennifer Lopez/Instagram

August 21, 2023 — Jennifer Lopez Celebrates Her One Year Anniversary With Ben Affleck

In honor of their first wedding anniversary, Jennifer Lopez shared some photos, and some lyrics from "Dear Ben, Pt II", to Instagram. "One year ago today," she says in the caption. "Dear Ben, Sitting here alone / Looking at my ring ring / Feeling overwhelmed / It makes me wanna sing sing / How did we end up here / Without a rewind / Oh my / This is my life...Jennifer"

Image via Dunkin'

February 11, 2024 — Ben Affleck And Jennifer Lopez Star In A Super Bowl Commercial

Following Ben Affleck's iconic, viral photos with his Dunkin' coffee, the couple starred in Dunkin' Donuts' 2024 Super Bowl ad — in addition to Matt Damon, Jack Harlow, and Tom Brady. The commercial features Ben and his friends coming into the studio while Jennifer records her newest album This Is Me Now... — a move that is not well received.

Image via Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios

February 26, 2024 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Reveal Why They Originally Split Up

"Ben and I, we broke up three days before our wedding," J.Lo recalled in her new documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told. "We had a big wedding planned—14 ushers and bridesmaids—and three days before, we just crumbled under the pressure."

"For all those years, it was really hard because I didn't just feel like I lost the love of my life, I felt like I lost the best friend that I ever had," Jennifer continues. "I've made it through. I've made something good of my life. I'm proud of that."

Image via Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images

May 2024: Rumors Swirl About Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's Alleged Divorce

Though Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have reconnected, there have rumors that their marriage may be in trouble. A source alerted InTouch Weekly that there have been obvious signs that something is wrong for a while.

"The writing is on the wall – it’s over," the source claims before saying, "They’re headed for a divorce – and for once, [Ben’s] not to blame!" The source believes the two have a lot of love for each other, but that they're jus too different to be together.

TMZ has also reported that Ben seems like he hasn't been living at home — yikes! He was photographed leaving going to and coming from a L.A. home without Jennifer. It's also being reported that he's been allegedly spending the night there.

But, TMZ also pointed out that the pair are still wearing their wedding rings so it's hard to say if there's any merit to the breakup rumors. Until Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck actually give a statement, I'm going to cross my fingers and hope for the best!

What's your favorite Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck moment? Check out The Latest On Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce's Relationship and The Latest News On Blake Lively And Ryan Reynold's Kids for more of your favorite celebrity couples!

Lead image via Amy Sussman/Getty Images

This post has been updated.

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In "A Quiet Place: Day One," Lupita Nyong'o & Joseph Quinn Are Stuck In The Scariest Place On Earth — NYC

I simply do not do scary movies. That being said, the A Quiet Place movies are one franchise I will always make an exception for. They focus on family and relationships in a such a beautiful way that I could truly shout about from the rooftops. John Krasinski saying he made the OG film as a love letter to his family? His character signing "I have always loved you" to his daughter at the end? Well, now I want to rewatch the movies — and there's no better time because A Quiet Place: Day One is coming this summer!

What is A Quiet Place: Day One about?

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A Quiet Place: Day One | Official Trailer 2 (2024 Movie) - Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn

Just like the beginning of A Quiet Place II, this prequel starts on the day the Death Angels came to earth. But instead of a small town, Lupita Nyong'o and Joseph Quinn's characters are stuck in the scariest place on earth: New York City. Now they have to work together to figure out how to get out of midtown (with Lupita's cat in tow). As someone who lives in the city, the idea of having to be silent in such a loud, rowdy environment sends shivers down my spine.

When does the A Quiet Place prequel come out?

Image via Paramount Pictures

You can see A Quiet Place: Day One in theaters June 28, 2024. Check out the rest of this year's summer movies to see what else is on the way.

Who's in the A Quiet Place: Day One cast?

Image via Paramount Pictures

A Quiet Place: Day One stars Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, and Djimon Hounsou.

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RHONY's Sai De Silva Got Caught Calling New Cast Mate Rebecca Minkoff "Boring"

The Real Housewives of New Yorkseason 14 and Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacywere seasons for the books. We got a peak into the lives of New York's rich and famous, both past and present, and to nobody's surprise...we want more! This long-standing, well-loved franchise saw a lot in its heyday — I mean, just look at what happened when they put the OGs together for one trip — and it continues to thrill audiences with new fabulous faces. But what can we expect from a new season of RHONY? With rumors swirling about who's set to return, here's everything we know about The Real Housewives of New York season 15.

Is "The Real Housewives of New York" coming back for season 15?

Image via Bravo

For a while, there was no official word from Bravo about whether or not we were getting more RHONY...but we're stayed hopeful! Well, all that waiting paid off because Bravo posted on Instagram that season 15 is a-go! Andy Cohen recently told Us Weeklythat the "next season" should fix some of the bumps this reboot faced, so we're excited to see what that means for the upcoming RHONY season!

Who's in the cast for "The Real Housewives of New York" season 15?

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It was pretty unclear who was returning to The Real Housewives of New York. Most notably outspoken about her return (or potential lack thereof) was Jenna Lyons. She told Jimmy Fallon that she wasn't sure if she'll return for another season, which would have been a total bummer TBH! Jenna's sublime style and unique personality added so much to the show's dynamic last year, and it would definitely be missed.

LUCKILY, the entire season 14 is set to return for RHONY season 15 — Jenna included! Watch the adorable announcement here.

Reports are in that THE Rebecca Minkoff is joining the cast, too. While it's unclear if she's a friend of the show or a main cast member, I can't wait to watch this amazing female founder take the show by the horns! Meanwhile, other folks have different feelings about the new housewife.

According to Page Six, Sai De Silva isn't too interested in Minkoff's presence on the show. In what she must have thought was a private conversation, De Silva shared that she finds Minkoff to be "boring" and that she's "unresponsive" to the cast's attempts to "take her down." Whoops!

The show hasn't even started, and I already can't wait to watch this all unfold...

Is Luann de Lesseps coming back to "The Real Housewives of New York"?

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Matt Rogers recently asked Countess Luann outright about the possibility of a return to the RHONY world. According to Matt, he heard that the upcoming season would have Brynn Whitfield, Erin Lichy, Jessel Taank, Sonja Morgan, Luann de Lesseps, and Dorinda Medley with Ubah Hassan returning as a friend of the cast. Luann neither confirmed nor denied this IRL, but cryptically commented on Instagram this February about the rumors.

However, as of right now, Countess Luann de Lesseps isn't an announced cast season 15 cast member.

Image via Instagram

What do the other cast members think about these rumors? According to Us Weekly, Brynn Whitfield is "open to anything" when it comes to filming with current and former cast members. Meanwhile, Erin Lichy told Access Hollywoodthat they're "not joining forces with (RHONY) Legacy."

Who got fired from "RHONY"?

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After filming RHONY Legacy, investigative reporting by Vanity Fairfound that Ramona Singer allegedly used a racial slur towards a Black crew member — among other racially-driven misconduct allegations from years past and present. Ramona vehemently denied the use of the slur, but was still asked not to attend BravoCon in 2023. It's very likely that her time at Bravo is now up. According to PEOPLE, Ramona also isn't employed by real estate company Douglas Elliman anymore.

Who is the richest on "The Real Housewives of New York"?

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According to Cosmopolitan, Jenna Lyons is worth approximately $5 million dollars — the most net-worth of the current cast for The Real Housewives of New York. However, this could change if she decides not to return to the show! The next in line would be Brynn Whitfield, coming in at a worth of $3 million dollars.

When will "The Real Housewives of New York" season 15 air?

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Allegedly filming for The Real Housewives of New York season 15 hasn't even started yet. As of February 7, Erin Lichy wasn't even sure when filming would start, according to Access Hollywood. So everything seems very TBD at the moment.

Is there a trailer for "The Real Housewives of New York" season 15?

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Since filming is still up in the air, we definitely don't have a trailer yet. We're definitely keeping our eyes peeled for the moment something drops, though!

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This post has been updated with new information.

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