Back when I used to eat fast food, I would always pick what I thought was the “healthiest” option, grilled chicken for example. I had no idea how bad those “healthy” options were for me. The main reason was the seed oils these foods were cooked in.
In the fall of 2022, I stopped eating fast food altogether. My goal wasn’t even to lose weight. I weighed 235 pounds. But I’m 6’3″ tall. I didn’t feel overweight necessarily. But I didn’t feel good as far as energy goes. And I had a high amount of chronic pain and inflammation. My muscle recovery wasn’t good either. My main goal for quitting fast food was to have more energy and to feel better.
After 3 months of no fast food, I was shocked at how much weight I’d lost.
I went from 235 pounds, down to 190. I’d lost 45 pounds in 3 months. The main thing was, that I felt great. It was then that I realized, just how bad seed oils were for me. I didn’t even change any other daily habits during that 3 months. I didn’t do cardio. But I did lift weights like I normally do. And I usually don’t take long breaks when I’m lifting. So the workouts did have a certain mid-intensity, cardio aspect to them. But I didn’t run for any distances, or do any cardio-only workouts, during that period. I also didn’t cut any calories. I just changed the foods I ate. Instead of fast food, I was cooking a lot of grass-fed red meat and eggs. I didn’t sacrifice taste at all. The food I was eating actually tasted better.
Since then, I’ve taken a class on cellular inflammation that’s helped me further understand the dangers of seed oils and why they are so bad for us. This class was taught by a doctor. It was very eye-opening. Everything I learned from it has been very helpful in improving my all-around health. And anything that improves my health is directly related to improving my computer posture. That class can be found here if you’d like to learn more.
Fast food companies cook with seed oils because they are much less expensive than healthy animal fats.
A gallon of unhealthy canola oil costs as low as $5. Comparatively, grass-fed beef tallow (a healthy seed-oil substitute) costs over $50 per gallon. That means it’s 10 times more expensive. With the massive amounts of cooking oils that fast food companies need, of course they’re going to choose a cheap, unhealthy option like canola oil every time. It’s an easy way for them to increase their profits, while customers pay the price with their health.
This article is not professional medical advice. It’s based off my personal experience and opinions. For years, my poor computer posture caused muscle tension, inflammation, and chronic pain. Bad posture also decreased my mental clarity, energy level, and work productivity.
All the office wellness tips I write about are directly related to improving posture at a computer. We are our own primary caretakers. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
How to Cook Without Seed Oils
This article will talk about the healthy alternatives I use instead of seed oils. I’ll go over substitute options I use in my cast iron skillet to cook. I’ll also go over the different dressings I use on my foods after they’re cooked.
Quick side note: I’m not compensated by any of the manufacturers I mention in this article. These are all products I’ve paid my own money for. I enjoy sharing products that have improved my health and nutrition. Both of which are directly related to how good (or bad) my computer posture is.
Cooking substances that are seed oil alternatives
Butter made from Pasture-Raised, grass-fed cows
A common misconception is that butter is “bad for you.” That’s mainly because it’s high in fat. But fat is actually a nutrient that plays an important role in our health. I practice moderate-carb, high-protein, high-fat nutrition. That’s what works for me because I’m very physically active. As desk workers, we work in a very static position (or two) while doing computer work. Also, consider that everything I write is based on the mindset of a part-time athlete who works at a computer full-time.
It’s important to me that I use real butter. I only cook with butter made from pasture-raised, grass-fed cows. I avoid artificial ingredients and oils in my foods as much as possible. The brand of butter I like is Vital Farms. I want the ingredients label on my foods to be minimal as possible. In this case, Vital Farms butter only has 2 ingredients. Those are pasteurized cream (milk) and salt, because I get the salted butter option.
I don’t usually add just butter in the skillet alone. I’d describe it more as butter-based cooking. I use duck fat or beef tallow more often. I usually cook something (like a steak) with duck fat, then I’ll also add some butter to the pan for added flavor.
Beef tallow
Cooking with animal fats, like beef tallow, has made it super easy way to avoid seed oils in my diet. Since I’ve started cooking with animal fats, I’ve gotten numerous health benefits. I generally feel better because I’m eating real, whole foods. My energy levels are better. I have less inflammation, which leads to less pain. That’s always one of my main goals. I want to wake up everyday feeling energetic, pain-free, and strong.
The brand of beef tallow I use is called Epic Provisions. Like the butter I use, it’s also made from animals that are grass-fed. This is pretty standard in my nutrition practice (since taking that class on cellular inflammation). Any of the animal products I eat are almost always grass-fed. And the ingredients list on this one only has 1 ingredient. That ingredient is beef tallow.
Beef tallow is very high in fat. It’s the highest of anything I cook with. So I always keep this in mind. In order to eat natural cooking fats, I maintain a physically active lifestyle. My favorite thing to cook in beef tallow is sweet potatoes. I will either cut them up into chips, then use beef tallow to cook them in the skillet. Or, I’ll cut the sweet potatoes in half and cook them in the oven, with beef tallow melted on the cooking sheet.
Duck fat
I stumbled onto duck fat in the grocery store, simply because it was right next to the beef tallow on the shelf. I compared the labels of the two. Beef tallow and duck fat have the same amount of total fat per serving. But the duck fat has 3 grams less saturated fat. Which means the duck fat has 3 grams more unsaturated fat than beef tallow. Unsaturated fat is liquid form at room temperature, while saturated fat is a solid. This causes the duck fat to have a slightly lighter consistency, while the beef tallow is a little heavier.
I only tried duck fat because the beef tallow was sold out one day. But now, duck fat is the healthy seed oil substitute I cook with most often. Like beef tallow, it only has 1 ingredient on the label. That ingredient is rendered duck fat.
I cook with duck fat during the 4 days of the week while I’m intermittent fasting. Then, I’ll cook with beef tallow during the 2 days of the week that I’m in feasting mode. To learn more about the fasting method that works best for me, check out my article titled, Improve Computer Posture with Intermittent Fasting.
Dressings that are seed oil alternatives
Raw Honey
I used to have a problem with my sweet tooth. I ate too much sugar everyday. But now that I’ve increased my grass-fed red meat intake, I have much more satiety after eating a meal. To learn more about healthy foods that work for me, check out my article titled, Foods That Promote Good Posture.
I don’t crave sugar like I used to. But with that said, I do still treat myself occasionally with something really sweet. One of my favorite options is natural, raw honey. I prefer to buy my honey from a local source with 1 ingredient on the label, raw honey.
Even though raw honey contains natural sugar, it’s a lot better for me than artificial sugar. But I’m still very careful with how much and how often I eat it. I only use a very small amount. Sometimes I’ll put it on a steak, or a burger. It doesn’t take a lot. Sometimes I don’t even put it on top of the food. I’ll put a half spoonful of it on the plate and spread it around right before the food comes off the skillet. It’s just enough honey to make the food taste better, but not enough to give me a sugar rush.
Pure Maple Syrup
I take the same approach using pure maple syrup as I do with raw honey. The sugar content is high, so I don’t use it everyday. And when I do use it, I use a very small amount. I usually spread it across an empty plate just before I put my food on it. But I only use maple syrup that has just 1 ingredient on the label (organic pure maple syrup).
Primal Kitchen
Primal Kitchen is a brand that takes an ancestral approach to nutrition. I wouldn’t say the ingredient labels are minimalist. But I will say that most of their ingredients, if not all, come from natural, organic, whole foods.
My favorite of their dressings is the green goddess flavor. I also like their ketchup and steak sauce.
Butter (again) made from pasture-raised, grass-fed cows
In addition to butter-based cooking in a skillet, I also use grass-fed butter as a topping. I’ll often use it on sweet potatoes, or on top of a steak.
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN COMPUTER POSTURE.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re taking valuable steps to reduce computer-related injuries by improving your posture. That’s something to be very proud of!
If you liked this article on how to cook without seed oils, check out my free ebook titled 3 Ways to Improve Computer Posture Immediately!
>>> Click here to download your free copy
This ebook is a great supplement to the article you just read. In this ebook, you’ll learn 3 of the most painful, poor computer posture mistakes. Then, you’ll learn how to fix those mistakes immediately with 3 simple changes to your ergonomic computer desk setup.
Go to SittingPosture.com/ebook to learn more.
Take care,
Todd Bowen