Healthy Fats Ranked: What to Use for Cooking, Dressing and More

May 1, 2025by Sawyer Creek

There’s a lot of noise out there about fat — some folks think it’s bad, others swear by it. The truth is, your body needs fat to stay healthy. It helps you absorb vitamins, keeps your brain working right, and gives you energy to move through your day. But not all fats are created equal.

At Sawyer Creek, we believe in going back to basics. That means using natural, time-tested fats that people have been cooking with for generations. The key is knowing which fats to use and when.

Here’s a simple guide to the healthiest fats we trust in our own kitchen and how you can use them, too.

1. Tallow (Beef Fat)

Tallow is the fat we render down from our grass-fed beef. It’s full of nutrients like vitamin A, D and K2, and it’s especially rich in something called CLA — a healthy fat that supports heart health and may help lower inflammation. Because it has a high smoke point, it won’t break down when you cook it on high heat.

Tallow is solid at room temperature and adds a rich flavor to meals. Folks used it for frying and baking long before vegetable oils hit the shelves — and for good reason.

Best for: High-heat cooking like frying, roasting potatoes or veggies, and making old-fashioned pie crusts that hold together just right.

2. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil comes from the meat of coconuts and has become popular in recent years. It's packed with medium-chain fatty acids that your body can quickly turn into energy. It’s naturally anti-microbial and shelf-stable, meaning it stores well without refrigeration.

It has a light coconut taste, so we like it in sweeter dishes or tropical-inspired meals.

Best for: Baking, sautéing, and homemade snacks like protein balls or granola. You can also use it on your skin for dry patches.

3. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This one’s a classic. Extra virgin olive oil is loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. It’s made by pressing fresh olives and doesn’t go through heavy processing. That’s what gives it its green-golden color and peppery flavor.

While it can handle light cooking, olive oil is best used raw to keep its nutrients intact.

Best for: Salad dressings, drizzling on cooked meats or vegetables, and blending into homemade sauces.

4. Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is smooth, buttery and great for high-heat cooking. It has a smoke point over 500 degrees, which means it won’t turn bitter or smoke up the kitchen like some oils do. It’s rich in healthy fats and vitamin E, which supports skin and immune health.

Avocado oil doesn’t taste like avocados — it’s neutral enough to use in just about anything.

Best for: Grilling, roasting, frying, or swapping in for vegetable oil in recipes.

5. Butter (From Grass-Fed Cows)

There’s nothing like the flavor of real butter. When it’s from grass-fed cows, butter also gives you more nutrients like vitamin K2 and omega-3 fats. It spreads easily, tastes great, and brings out the flavor in everything from meats to vegetables.

For cooking at higher temps, ghee (or clarified butter) is a great option because the milk solids have been removed. That keeps it from burning.

Best for: Baking, pan-frying, scrambling eggs, or melting on top of cooked food.

6. Nut and Seed Oils (Used Cold Only)

Some oils are better kept away from the stove. Cold-pressed walnut, flaxseed or pumpkin seed oils are full of omega-3s, which are great for your heart and brain. But they’re fragile and go bad fast if overheated.

These are specialty oils — a little goes a long way. Store them in the fridge and use them cold.

Best for: Topping cooked vegetables, mixing into dressings, or blending into dips and sauces.

Fats to Be Careful With

Not all fats are worth keeping in your kitchen. Heavily processed oils like soybean, canola, corn and cottonseed oil are made using chemicals and heat. They're high in omega-6 fats, which, in large amounts, can throw off the body’s natural balance and lead to inflammation.

Most fast food and prepackaged snacks are cooked in or made with these oils. We try to avoid them at Sawyer Creek, and we encourage our community to do the same.

Keep It Simple and Real

Healthy eating doesn’t mean avoiding fat — it means choosing the right ones. Stick with traditional fats that have stood the test of time. When possible, use fats from whole foods and local sources you trust.

At Sawyer Creek, we use beef tallow for frying, butter and coconut oil for cooking, and olive oil for dressings. These fats nourish the body and make food taste the way it should.

When you cook with real, natural fats, you’re giving your body clean energy and flavor without compromise. That’s something we can all feel good about.

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