Olive oil and avocado oil are the two best cooking oils during pregnancy, thanks to their high levels of monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and low saturated fat content. Both support heart health and provide nutrients that benefit fetal development. But the full picture includes a few more good options, some oils worth limiting, and one category to avoid entirely.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The Top Choice
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is widely considered the gold standard for cooking during pregnancy. It’s rich in monounsaturated fats (primarily omega-9 fatty acids), loaded with antioxidants called polyphenols, and has well-documented anti-inflammatory properties. Regular consumption of olive oil is associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, which matters during pregnancy when your heart is pumping up to 50% more blood than usual.
Animal research has also found that maternal olive oil consumption during gestation increased the expression of genes involved in bone building in offspring, suggesting a potential role in supporting fetal skeletal development. The polyphenols in EVOO are partly responsible for these effects, and they also help protect your cells from oxidative stress, which tends to increase during pregnancy.
For cooking, the type of olive oil matters. EVOO has a smoke point around 350°F, making it ideal for sautéing, roasting at moderate temperatures, and dressing salads. If you need higher heat, refined (sometimes labeled “light”) olive oil handles temperatures up to 470°F. The trade-off is that refining strips away some of those beneficial polyphenols, so using EVOO for lower-heat cooking and refined olive oil for higher-heat tasks gives you the best of both worlds.
Avocado Oil for High-Heat Cooking
Avocado oil is the best option when you’re stir-frying, searing, or roasting at high temperatures. Its smoke point sits around 520°F, the highest of any common cooking oil, which means it stays stable without breaking down into harmful compounds. Like olive oil, it’s primarily monounsaturated fat with only about 17% saturated fat.
What makes avocado oil particularly interesting during pregnancy is its nutrient profile. It contains oleic acid, which is one of the main building blocks of myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibers. Oleic acid is involved in the growth of nerve cell connections and the organization of neurons in the developing brain. Avocado oil also contains neuroprotective antioxidants, including carotenoids and phytosterols, that support healthy cell function.
Canola Oil: A Budget-Friendly Source of Omega-3s
Canola oil doesn’t get as much attention as olive or avocado oil, but it has a real advantage during pregnancy: it’s one of the richest cooking oil sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. Just one tablespoon provides about 1.4 grams of ALA, which is the entire daily recommended intake for pregnant women. Your body converts a small portion of ALA into DHA, the omega-3 that’s critical for your baby’s brain and eye development.
Canola oil won’t replace a direct DHA source like fatty fish or an algae-based supplement, since the conversion rate from ALA to DHA is low. But cooking with it regularly adds a baseline of omega-3s to your diet that most other cooking oils simply don’t provide. It has a neutral flavor and a moderately high smoke point, making it versatile for everyday cooking.
Sunflower Oil and Vitamin E
High-oleic sunflower oil is a solid pregnancy cooking option because it’s rich in monounsaturated fat and delivers a substantial dose of vitamin E. One tablespoon of sunflower oil contains 5.6 mg of vitamin E, covering 37% of the daily recommended intake. The RDA for vitamin E during pregnancy is 15 mg per day, so two to three tablespoons of sunflower oil used throughout the day gets you more than halfway there.
Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, protecting cell membranes from damage. During pregnancy, when cell division is happening at a staggering rate in your growing baby, this protection is especially valuable. Look specifically for “high-oleic” sunflower oil, which has a healthier fat profile than standard sunflower oil.
Coconut Oil: Use It Sparingly
Coconut oil is not harmful during pregnancy, but it’s not an ideal everyday cooking fat. The reason is simple: it’s about 82% saturated fat, the highest of any commonly used oil. The American Heart Association recommends keeping saturated fat below 6% of your total daily calories. On a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s about 13 grams per day. A single tablespoon of coconut oil contains roughly 11 grams of saturated fat, which nearly hits that ceiling before you’ve eaten anything else.
Coconut oil also has a relatively low smoke point of 350°F, limiting its versatility. If you enjoy the flavor in occasional baking or light sautéing, small amounts are fine. But relying on it as your primary cooking oil would push your saturated fat intake well above recommended levels, and pregnancy is a time when your cardiovascular system is already under extra strain.
Cold-Pressed vs. Refined Oils
When shopping for cooking oils, you’ll notice labels like “cold-pressed,” “expeller-pressed,” and “refined.” Cold-pressed oils are extracted without heat or chemical solvents, which preserves higher levels of bioactive compounds like carotenoids, plant sterols, and phenolics. These compounds contribute antioxidant activity and may improve the oil’s stability during storage.
Refined oils go through additional processing that removes some of these beneficial compounds but raises the smoke point. The practical takeaway: choose cold-pressed versions for lower-heat cooking, dressings, and drizzling, where you’ll get the most nutritional benefit. Use refined versions when you need to cook at higher temperatures.
Oils and Fats to Avoid
The one category of fat that deserves a clear warning during pregnancy is trans fat, found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. These artificial fats were once common in margarine, packaged baked goods, fried fast food, and shelf-stable snacks. While many countries have restricted or banned them, they still appear in some processed foods.
The risks during pregnancy are serious. Research published in Brain Research Bulletin found that trans fat consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding increased anxiety-related behavior in offspring and triggered inflammatory responses in the brain. Specifically, it raised levels of pro-inflammatory markers while lowering anti-inflammatory ones, and it altered stress hormone receptor activity in brain regions tied to emotion and memory. Other studies have linked maternal trans fat intake to increased cardiovascular risk and greater vulnerability to neuropsychiatric conditions.
To avoid trans fats, check ingredient lists for “partially hydrogenated” oils. Palm oil, while not a trans fat, is also worth limiting. It’s 52% saturated fat and is not recommended as a healthy cooking choice.
A Practical Approach
You don’t need to pick just one oil. The most nutritious strategy is to rotate between a few, matching each oil to the right cooking method. Use EVOO as your default for sautéing vegetables, making sauces, and drizzling over finished dishes. Reach for avocado oil when you’re cooking at high heat. Work canola oil into your rotation for its omega-3 content, especially in baking or when you want a neutral flavor. Use sunflower oil when you want a vitamin E boost.
Keep coconut oil and butter as occasional ingredients rather than staples. Read labels on processed foods to steer clear of partially hydrogenated oils. And when you can, choose cold-pressed versions to get the most nutrients from every tablespoon.