My family stumbled upon Chipotle when guacamole was only 50 cents extra. I think I was 10 or 11. I remember the kids’ quesadillas being next level. Their chips, pure artistry.
Over the course of the next decade and multiple guac price increases (I just saw it’s at $2.65!), I ate at Chipotle hundreds of times. My order evolved into a bowl with white rice, black beans, fajita veggies, chicken, corn salsa (I am very weak when it comes to spice) and yes, guac. I was known as the expensive ninth born.
I started becoming more health-aware in 2019. As I made a greater effort to eat nutrient-dense foods, I didn’t even think to question my love for Chipotle. It was considered a great, healthy fast food option.
They advertised themselves as “natural” and promoted their meat as “antibiotic-free.” Heck, it was a staple for Whole30 warriors, which—at the time—was the diet of choice for the healthiest (or perhaps most radical) people embarked on.
I thought, without question: Chipotle is healthy food and is making me healthier.
But boy was I wrong.
I’m not sure what prompted me to dig into Chipotle’s ingredients—probably a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit—but I vividly remember scrolling through their website in shock and disappointment. Virtually every part of their menu is doused in seed oils.
White rice? Seed oils.
Black beans? Seed oils.
Marinated chicken? Seed oils.
Fajita veggies? Seed oils.
Chips? You guessed it—cooked in seed oils.
I realized I’d been gaslighting myself. Every time I ordered a bowl, I wasn’t fueling my body with nutrient-rich food that fostered wellness and built strength. I was doing the opposite.
Eating a bowl of seed oils that was progressively but profoundly ruining my health.
Why do we hate seed oils again?
Like many things in life, it’s easy to drift unless you regularly remind yourself why you believe what you believe, think the way you think, or live the way you do. Without that clarity, it’s easy to get pulled into ideas, trends—or cults!—that sound good but aren’t grounded in truth.
It’s kind of like how Pacific Northwesterners have to coach themselves through the dark, wet winters (“Just wait for July”) or how Phoenicians survive blistering summers by clinging to the promise of a perfect January.
It’s also important to regularly reevaluate why we choose to eat—or avoid—certain foods. Speaking candidly, I can absolutely fall into the trap of eating less-than-ideal meals if I’m not intentional with the Running On Butter lifestyle.
So with that being said, here’s a quick reminder on why we don’t like seed oils:
Seed oils are a new invention, a byproduct of industrialization
No humans ate seed oils before the 20th century, and prior to that our metabolic health was not problematic. Think: fit, no diabetes, etc.
When seed oils were introduced and replaced fats like butter, things got wacky. Think: heart attacks, weight gain, processed foods, etc.
Oxidation = Inflammation
With all the MAHA hype, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything you’re not doing.
“You don’t have a reverse osmosis water filter? No access to local grass-fed beef and raw milk? Not sitting in a sauna three times a week? Wow. Clearly you don’t take your health seriously. Enjoy your diabetes, low life.”
I find this kind of thinking frustrating and elitist. Saying everything is killing you is just another way of saying everything is keeping you alive.
There are for sure lifestyle factors that are absolutely essential to address. Then there are important ones. Then there are things worth considering. And finally, there are luxuries like organic spas and $15 cold-pressed juices.
That being said—and without being dramatic—I’d place seed oil avoidance right at the top of the essential list.
It’s not just that seed oils are harmful on their own (which to be clear, they truly are); they almost always come packaged with other manmade, ultra-processed ingredients.
So in a way, saying no to seed oils means you’re also saying no to a whole lineup of foods that are progressively causing you to lose health and gain weight: factory made crackers, chips, breads, salad dressings, cereals, granola, condiments, and many more.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that the foods most likely to sneak in seed oils are often the ones that appear healthy, claim to be healthy, or seem healthy at first glance. Those are the ones you really have to watch.
Based on my research into fats—how they’re made, processed, and affect the body—these are the ones I feel confident recommending:
Butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Coconut oil
All animal fats like ghee, tallow, duck fat, lard, and bear fat. (I had bear fat last week thanks to my favorite huntsman and committed Buttercup, Hodges)
I am happy to report that I am now going on year six of being clean from Chipotle. As a once massive fan of the company, I can tell you that my life has never been better.
I genuinely don’t miss it. And my health is better for it.
If I’d stayed on the path I was on, I would’ve eaten hundreds more Chipotle bowls by now—easily adding up to gallons of oxidized seed oils. (I’m not even exaggerating. It’s basic math.)
I know my body—my mental clarity, testosterone and energy levels, lack of soreness and sickness—is thanking me for making this move.
I know yours will too.
Great article – thank you.
I’ve been avoiding seed oils for over five years now and at my age (67) I can definitely tell the difference: my mind & body feels at least 10 years younger.
One thing: you should’ve included avocado oil (unrefined, of course) as one of the good ones.
Another article from which I can relate. it is amazing how many have their blinders on regarding seed oils. I tell ppl about them and they look at me with exhaustion; like I'm the kooky one. Thank you ( sending hugs)