Wondering which grocery store foods are packed with oil? Start looking at product labels and ingredient statements on most packaged foods and menu items, and you’ll soon realize most every processed food found in the grocery store is packed with oil. Here’s a summary of the most common foods packed with oil. Note, exceptions to the list below are foods that are clearly labeled “Oil-free”.

 

Why do food manufacturers add oil to their products?

This is a great question. In my opinion there are several reasons a food product developer would add oil to a product:

• Oil creates a smooth mouthfeel
• Oil adds fat to a dish which adds body
• Oil adds weight to a dish or baked good
• Most people are used to tasting oil at this point
• Oil and fat make the food addictive
• Most do not realize the harmful effects of oil on our bodies

Why is oil bad for our bodies?

Oil is the fat that is mechanically pressed out of whole plant foods, such as olives, avocados, coconuts, sunflower seeds, and similar. Oil is very high in fat, which is not good for our bodies. If someone eats foods that contain oil for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks, after a full day of eating, the person is likely to have consumed way too much oil. Now compound that with every single day eating too much oil and the person is likely to develop a diet related disease or illness.

Not only is oil not a whole food and is packed with fat, it also has been proven to limit proper functioning of our bodies.

Learn more about endothelial function and how oil harms our bodies >

9 grocery store foods that are packed with oil

Chips

Take a stroll down the chip aisle and browse through the labels of all the chips you see. You’ll noticed basically all of them contain oil as an ingredient. Most chips are deep fried in oil, or baked with oil, which is how food manufacturers keep them crisp and keep you craving more and more.

Cookies

Basically all cookies found in the grocery store contain oil as an ingredient. Many food manufacturers use oil to make cookies crispy and to give them a nice, addicting mouthfeel.

Cakes

Most cakes in the grocery store are baked with oil and/or butter. Bakers use fat in baked foods to make a smooth mouth feel, add weight to a baked good, and make you crave that moist, decadent and fluffy cake consistency.

Pies

A staple ingredient in pie crust is usually shortening, oil or butter which makes pie crust flaky. There’s a lot of it in there too, most pies contain at least six tablespoons butter or shortening per pie, making each serving contain a little under one tablespoon each.

Tortillas

Most tortillas contain oil which makes them soft and pliable. This includes whole wheat tortillas. One blessing is that most sprouted grain tortillas do not contain oil, making them great for an oil-free diet.

Ready-to-eat packaged meals

Basically all ready-to-eat packaged meals contain oil as an ingredient. Most recipes call for oil while cooking which is why oil is found in so many ready-to-eat meals.

Candy

Surprisingly you’ll find lots of oil in candy. Check out the back of a package of Starburst candies and you’ll see they contain oil as a main ingredient. Generally candies that are soft and chewy contain oil.

Salad dressings

Basically all salad dressings in the grocery store contain oil, even the ones that are labeled “low-fat” if you can find any of those. Not only do salad dressings contain oil, they contain a lot of oil and fat, even ones that are plant-based.

Sauces

Most grocery store canned sauces, such as tomato sauce, contain oil as an ingredient. Most recipes for sauces use oil to add weight and give the recipe a good mouth feel.

Ready to kick your oil habit?

Take the free “Oil-free for 30 days” challenge and learn how to cook without oil, eat out at restaurants, and handle the naysayers. Start today >

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