Why I Cook Without Oil (and why it changed everything)
I usually write about the wider plant-based world but this week I'm bringing it back to Mell's Kitchen because there's one question that lands in my inbox more than almost any other.
“No oil? Not even olive oil?”
And I completely understand the reaction. We’ve been told for decades that olive oil is heart-healthy, that a drizzle here and there is practically medicinal, that cooking without it would leave food tasting bland, dry, and frankly a bit sad.
So let me explain why I made the decision to remove oil entirely from my kitchen, and once you understand the reasoning, you might never look at that bottle of olive oil the same way again.
First, Let’s Talk About What Oil Actually Is
This is the part that really surprised me when I first learned it.
Oil (all oil, including the expensive extra virgin cold-pressed kind) is not a whole food. It’s an extracted, highly processed product. When you press olives to make olive oil, you’re removing the fibre, the water content, the protein, and most of the micronutrients, and leaving behind almost pure fat in liquid form.
That lovely bottle of olive oil on your worktop contains around 120 calories per tablespoon. Just one tablespoon. With virtually none of the nutritional value that made the original olive worth eating in the first place.
If you want the benefits of olives, eat olives. Your body knows what to do with a whole food. It’s less sure what to do with the extracted fat without the fibre that would normally slow its absorption.
What Oil Does to Your Arteries
Here’s where it gets really important, and it’s the part the food industry would rather you didn’t think too hard about.
Research, including landmark work from Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, who has spent decades studying heart disease reversal - shows that oil, including olive oil, damages the endothelium. That’s the thin layer of cells lining your blood vessels. The endothelium is responsible for producing nitric oxide, which keeps your arteries flexible and healthy.
When you eat oil, even the supposedly healthy kind, it impairs endothelial function for hours afterwards. Over years of daily use, that adds up.
For anyone eating whole food plant-based specifically to improve their heart health, cholesterol levels, or blood pressure, cooking with oil is working against the very goal you’re trying to reach.
But What About the Mediterranean Diet?
I hear this one a lot.
The Mediterranean diet does include olive oil, and it is associated with better health outcomes than a standard Western diet. But (and this matters) the research suggests the benefits come despite the oil, not because of it. The real heroes of the Mediterranean diet are the vegetables, pulses, whole grains, and fruits.
When researchers have compared a Mediterranean diet to a whole food plant-based diet without oil, the results consistently favour the oil-free approach for cholesterol reduction and cardiovascular health.
What About Weight Loss?
This one is straightforward.
Fat contains 9 calories per gram. Carbohydrates and protein contain 4 calories per gram. Oil is 100% fat with zero fibre to fill you up or slow digestion.
At Mell’s Kitchen, every meal comes in under 500 calories. That simply wouldn’t be possible (or at least not satisfying) if I was cooking with oil. By removing oil from the cooking process, I can keep the calories where they need to be while making sure the portions are genuinely filling and nutritionally complete.
You’re not being shortchanged. You’re getting more food, more fibre, more nutrients, and fewer empty calories.
“But Won’t Everything Stick to the Pan and Taste Awful?”
Honestly, this was my biggest concern when I first made the switch.
The answer is no, but it does require a small shift in technique. Here’s what works brilliantly:
Water sautéing. A couple of tablespoons of water or vegetable stock in a hot pan works beautifully for softening onions, garlic, and vegetables. You get the same result without the oil. Add a little at a time and let it evaporate, this is what creates flavour, not fat.
Ceramic cookware makes everything easier. A good quality ceramic pan is definitely worth investing in if you’re cooking oil-free regularly.
Roasting without oil. This one surprises people most. Vegetables roast absolutely beautifully without oil. The natural sugars caramelise, the edges crisp up, and the flavour is actually more intense than oil-roasted vegetables because nothing is diluting or coating the surface. A lined baking tray, a hot oven, and a little patience is all you need.
Spices, herbs, citrus, and umami-rich ingredients do the heavy lifting when it comes to flavour. When you remove oil, you start to really taste the food itself and that’s such a wonderful thing.
What I’ve Noticed Since Going Oil-Free
I want to be honest with you here, because this is my personal experience and yours might be different.
When I removed oil from my cooking, a few things changed. My digestion improved noticeably - that heavy, sluggish feeling after meals largely disappeared. My skin became clearer. And the food itself started to feel lighter in a way that’s hard to describe until you experience it. Not unsatisfying but lighter. Like the difference between feeling nourished and feeling weighed down.
I also found it easier to maintain a healthy weight without obsessing over portion sizes, because whole foods with fibre naturally regulate your appetite in a way that calorie-dense, low-fibre foods simply don’t.
So Is Oil Ever Okay?
I’m not here to tell you that olive oil is poison or that one salad dressing will ruin your health. Context always matters, and I’m not interested in fear-mongering.
What I will say is this: if you’re serious about losing weight, improving your cholesterol, protecting your heart, or simply feeling your best then removing oil from your everyday cooking is one of the most impactful changes you can make. But it’s not a small tweak, it’s a meaningful shift.
And once you get used to cooking without it, you honestly don’t miss it.
At Mell’s Kitchen, Oil-Free Is Non-Negotiable
Every single meal I make is completely oil-free. Not reduced oil. Not a light drizzle. Zero oil in any part of the cooking process.
That’s not a compromise. That’s a commitment to making food that actually does what it’s supposed to do. It nourishes your body, supports your health goals, and tastes genuinely delicious at the same time.
Because here’s what I believe with everything I’ve got: you shouldn’t have to choose between food that’s good for you and food that you love eating. That false choice is exactly what I built Mell’s Kitchen to disprove.
Ready to try whole food plant-based eating without the faff of cooking it yourself? Browse this week’s menu and use code MONTH25 to get 25% off your first 4 subscription boxes, that’s 4 boxes for the price of 3. Your first step towards actually feeling well starts with one meal.