Overrated or Underrated ⚖️ & AMA Submissions!

Ask us a question and we’ll answer the most interesting ones in our AMA next week:

Palm oil

Underrated: Palm oil is as healthy as coconut oil. It is generally made from the palm fruit pulp, is nearly pure saturated fat, not prone to oxidation, and often doesn’t need to be chemically refined. It was largely villainized as a tactic by big seed oil, as big palm oil was going after trans-fats.

There’s no serious health reason to avoid palm oil, and while it is objectionable to grow it unsustainably, if it is properly sourced it is a fine fat. Many donut shops like Krispy Kreme use it.

Duck fat fries

Overrated: Having read thousands of oil reports, I can tell you that true duck fat fries, at least in America, are basically a myth. Duck fat is very expensive, no one is filling a deep fryer with it. It’s basically ALWAYS a canola blend.

Even if it was authentic, conventionally raised American ducks are likely jacked up on soybeans and high in PUFA anyway. I’d stick to making these at home in a pan sadly.

Crispy Brussel Sprouts

Overrated: These are almost always deep fried for extra crispiness, the surface area makes them great for tucking in heaping tablespoons of soybean oil. Not a healthy appetizer

Outback, Buffalo Wild Wings and Popeyes

Underrated: I am not recommending you eat at any of these institutions as the food entering their deep fryers is generally highly processed, but if your rating for these chains was zero before, a beef fat fryer at least bumps it to a 2-3.

Outback and BWW use beef tallow for all locations, but it may have additives etc and is certainly not grass fed. Check the app for safe BWW sauces.

Popeyes is a bit harder to get a handle on, but many locations do fry in beef tallow, I’d clarify if you’re really craving, and note that the breading probably contains soybean oil and 50 other ingredients.