9 cooking mistakes that can make your food more toxic

Oils with low smoke points are better for salad dressings, adding to already cooked foods or sautéing – not for high-temperature cooking like stir-fries. “Certain oils, like olive oil and coconut oil, contain nutritional compounds that can be destroyed when heating to high temperatures above their smoke points,” explains Michelin-star chef Ben Roche. For cooking at home (frying, roasting), he recommends using a neutral oil, like grapeseed or sunflower. For flavouring cold sauces and drizzling over prepared food, he suggests using extra virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil to preserve flavour and nutrition.