Best Seed Oil-Free Swaps: Clean Grocery Shopping Guide

January 15, 2025

The Best Seed Oil-Free Swap Outs at the Grocery Store

Navigating the grocery store with a mission to avoid seed oils can feel like an uphill battle. Seed oils like canola, soybean, sunflower, and safflower have infiltrated everything from salad dressings to snacks, often masquerading as "healthier" options. But there’s good news: more brands are leaning into cleaner ingredients, giving us plenty of seed oil-free alternatives. Here are some of the best seed oil-free swap-outs to add to your cart.

1. Cooking Oils

Swap Out: Vegetable oil, canola oil, soybean oil
Choose Instead:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A classic for sautéing, roasting, and dressings. Look for cold-pressed options to retain nutrients.
Avocado Oil: High smoke point and neutral flavor make it perfect for high-heat cooking.
Coconut Oil: Ideal for baking and certain sautés, with a slightly sweet taste.
Butter or Ghee: For a rich, natural flavor in cooking and baking.

2. Salad Dressings

Swap Out: Dressings made with soybean or sunflower oil
Choose Instead:

Primal Kitchen: Avocado oil-based dressings in flavors like Green Goddess and Caesar.
Tessemae’s: Simple, clean ingredients with no hidden seed oils.
DIY: Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard for a quick, seed oil-free dressing.

3. Mayonnaise

Swap Out: Traditional mayo made with soybean or canola oil
Choose Instead:

Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayo: Creamy and flavorful, with clean ingredients.
Sir Kensington’s Avocado Oil Mayo: Another great option for sandwiches and recipes.

4. Chips and Snacks

Swap Out: Chips fried in sunflower, safflower, or canola oil
Choose Instead:

Siete Grain-Free Chips: Fried in avocado oil and available in delicious flavors.
Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips: Cooked in coconut or avocado oil.
Lesser Evil Popcorn: Popped in organic coconut oil for a seed oil-free snack.

5. Nut Butters

Swap Out: Peanut and almond butters with added vegetable oils
Choose Instead:

Artisana Organics: Pure nut butters with no added oils.
Ground Up PDX: Unique blends with clean ingredients.
Trader Joe’s Raw Almond Butter: Affordable and seed oil-free.

6. Bread and Crackers

Swap Out: Products made with hidden seed oils
Choose Instead:

Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers: Made with clean, whole ingredients.
Base Culture Bread: Paleo-friendly and seed oil-free.
Your Own Clean-Label Crackers: Gluten-free, dairy-free, and seed oil-free options that offer pantry-staple flavors. (Hint: Perfect for fans of simple, wholesome snacks!)

7. Frozen Foods

Swap Out: Processed frozen meals with canola or soybean oil
Choose Instead:

Primal Kitchen Frozen Bowls: Clean meals without seed oils.
Applegate Farms Sausage and Bacon: No added seed oils, just quality meats.
Cappello’s Grain-Free Pizzas: With almond flour crusts and no seed oils.

8. Dairy Alternatives

Swap Out: Plant-based milks and creams made with canola or sunflower oil
Choose Instead:

Malk Organics: Almond and oat milks without added oils.
Elmhurst 1925: Minimalist, clean-ingredient plant milks.
Coconut Milk: Full-fat canned options are great for cooking and baking.

9. Condiments

Swap Out: Ketchup, barbecue sauce, and hot sauce with seed oils
Choose Instead:

Primal Kitchen Ketchup and BBQ Sauce: No seed oils and naturally sweetened.
Yellowbird Hot Sauce: Bold flavors made with clean ingredients.
Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos: A soy sauce alternative with no hidden oils.

10. Sweets and Treats

Swap Out: Desserts with hydrogenated oils or seed oils
Choose Instead:

Hu Kitchen Chocolate: Paleo-friendly and made without seed oils.
Simple Mills Baking Mixes: Clean, oil-free ingredients for homemade treats.
Refrigerated Treats: Look for coconut oil-based options like Larabar Truffles.

Tips for Shopping Seed Oil-Free

Read Labels Carefully: Ingredients like "vegetable oil" often disguise seed oils.
Stick to Whole Foods: Fresh fruits, veggies, meats, and grains are naturally seed oil-free.
Shop Specialty Stores: Health food stores and online retailers often stock clean-label, seed oil-free products.

Avoiding seed oils doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor or convenience. With these simple seed oil-free swaps, you can enjoy clean, delicious foods that align with your wellness goals. Happy seed oil-free shopping!