So glad you liked it!

Feel free to use any other oil that you prefer! Canola oil is an accessible and affordable option for many people, a step up from vegetable oil in terms of overall healthiness. One of my goals in recipe writing is to make ingredients accessible to a diverse audience, including those who are financially constrained, and I assume that people who have things like avocado oil in their pantry know that it can be used here. I’m going to make a note that says “or other oil of choice” in the recipe card, just in case. Avocado oil is a wonderful alternative that is very nutritious – good suggestion!

I am educated in oils, and have researched this myself thoroughly (and since you painted with a broad brush and assumed here, I’ll do the same: I really wish all men would educate themselves on mansplaining…). Here are my thoughts on using canola oil/processed ingredients.

The claim that canola oil is overall “unhealthy” isn’t true. As with many foods, the issue isn’t as black and white as “it’s super healthy!” vs. “it’s super unhealthy!” And everyone has a different definition of what “healthy” is. It’s low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat. It also is a more processed oil, as you said. So it’s kind of about personal priorities and accessibility. Personally, I don’t try to stress about 100% unprocessed food all the time. That would be stressful, and on a larger societal scale, can even contribute to Orthorexia or disordered eating. Our bodies are designed to cleanse themselves of toxins, especially on such a small scale. There have been so many viral claims of toxic processed foods floating around over the past few years, and I’d caution anyone against immediately believing them or stressing about them – yes, healthy fresh unprocessed foods are amazing! But there is more nuance to the topic than those often alarmist claims will lead you to believe.

If anyone reading this wants to read more on canola oil to make their own decisions, here is a start: a good article that summarizes the health of canola oil – the concerns and concludes at the end whether it’s healthy or not.

And as always, variety is the spice of life – and health! My personal suggestion is stocking your pantry, if you are able to afford to do so, with a variety of oils that you can use in various recipes to diversify your diet.

Hope that helps clarify this issue!

Thanks! :-)