Why Do Some Vegans Not Eat Oil? Health, Ethics & Beyond

December 26, 2025 •

4 min read

A notable number of vegans, especially those following a Whole Food Plant-Based (WFPB) diet, choose to eliminate added oils for various reasons. So, why do some vegans not eat oil? Their motivations often stem from specific health goals, ethical convictions, and a desire for minimally processed foods.

Quick Summary

Some vegans avoid oil due to whole food plant-based principles, viewing it as a highly processed, calorie-dense food stripped of nutrients. Others are motivated by heart health concerns, environmental impact, particularly with palm oil, and weight management goals, preferring whole food fat sources instead.

Key Points

Health Focus: Many vegans who don't eat oil follow a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet to maximize nutrients and avoid processed fats.
Caloric Density: Oil is a highly calorie-dense food that contains zero fiber or other micronutrients, unlike whole foods like nuts and seeds.
Heart Health Concerns: Some health-focused vegans eliminate added oils due to concerns about their potential negative impact on cardiovascular health, specifically arterial function.
Environmental Ethics: Ethical vegans may avoid oils like palm oil due to its unsustainable production practices that contribute to deforestation and harm wildlife.
Whole Food Fats: Instead of extracted oils, oil-free vegans obtain healthy fats from whole food sources such as avocados, olives, nuts, and seeds.
Cooking Alternatives: Simple cooking techniques like water sautéing, air frying, and using fruit purees in baking provide effective alternatives to using oil.

Health Reasons: Maximizing Nutrition and Minimizing Processed Foods

For many vegans, the decision to forego oil is a conscious health choice rooted in the principles of a Whole Food Plant-Based (WFPB) lifestyle. The philosophy is to consume foods in their most natural, unprocessed state. Oil, regardless of its source (olive, coconut, vegetable), is a highly processed product. It is extracted fat, and in this process, the fiber, vitamins, and minerals are stripped away, leaving behind a calorie-dense substance with limited micronutrients. This is a major contrast to eating the whole food itself, such as olives, nuts, or seeds, which provides a complete nutritional profile.

Calorie Density and Weight Management

One of the most immediate impacts of eliminating oil is the reduction in caloric intake. At nine calories per gram, fat is more than twice as calorie-dense as protein and carbohydrates. A single tablespoon of oil contains approximately 120 calories, and these can add up quickly in dressings, sauces, and cooking. For those managing their weight, removing oil allows them to eat a larger volume of food—such as vegetables, grains, and legumes—to feel full without consuming excess calories. This focus on lower-calorie, high-volume foods rich in fiber is a cornerstone of the WFPB diet.

Cardiovascular Health

Concerns about heart health are a significant motivator for many oil-free vegans. Prominent plant-based doctors, such as Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, have taught that consuming oil, even reputedly healthy types like olive oil, can harm the endothelium, the delicate inner lining of the arteries. The theory suggests that this damage can contribute to the development of vascular disease. Some studies have shown that oil-free, plant-based diets can lead to greater improvements in heart health biomarkers and lower LDL cholesterol compared to diets that include added oils.

The Omega-6 and Omega-3 Balance

Many refined vegetable oils, such as corn and sunflower oil, are very high in omega-6 fatty acids. While essential, an overabundance of omega-6s relative to omega-3s is a concern, as it can be pro-inflammatory. By eliminating added oils and relying on whole food sources of fat like flaxseeds and walnuts, individuals can achieve a more balanced ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats, which is important for overall health.

Ethical and Environmental Considerations

Beyond personal health, ethical and environmental reasons drive some vegans to avoid oil.

The Problem with Palm Oil

The most prominent ethical issue concerns palm oil. While technically a plant-based product, the industry's rapid expansion, particularly in Southeast Asia, has led to massive deforestation. This has destroyed the habitats of critically endangered species, such as orangutans, pushing them toward extinction. Many vegans, whose core principle is to minimize harm to animals, consider palm oil production inherently unethical and choose to avoid it.

Resource Intensive Processing

Another consideration is the sheer resource intensity of extracting oil. It takes a large quantity of a whole food to produce a small amount of oil, a process that consumes energy and water. Some environmentally-conscious vegans argue that consuming whole foods is a more efficient use of resources and reduces the overall environmental footprint of their diet. This perspective extends to other industrial-scale crop cultivation that prioritizes high-fat oil production.

How to Cook Without Oil

Cooking without oil can be a simple adjustment for those transitioning to a no-oil vegan diet. There are many delicious alternatives:

Water or Broth Sautéing: Instead of heating oil, vegetables can be sautéed in a small amount of water or vegetable broth. Add more liquid as needed to prevent sticking.
Oil-Free Baking: Substitutions like applesauce, mashed bananas, nut butters, or pumpkin puree can replace oil in baking recipes, adding moisture and flavor.
Using Whole Foods for Fat: To create rich flavor and texture, use nut butters for dressings or sauces. Nuts and seeds can be toasted and added to dishes for a crunchy topping.

Oil vs. Whole Food Fat Sources Comparison


Feature	Added Oil (e.g., olive oil)	Whole Food Fat Source (e.g., olives)
Nutrient Profile	Low in micronutrients; mostly pure fat.	Rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Fiber Content	Zero fiber.	High in dietary fiber, which promotes satiety and digestive health.
Calorie Density	Very high (approx. 120 calories per tbsp).	Lower than oil, allowing for a higher volume of food per calorie.
Processing Level	High; requires mechanical or chemical extraction.	Minimal; eaten directly from the source.
Heart Health	Some evidence suggests potential negative impacts on arterial health.	Well-established links to heart health benefits from nutrients like monounsaturated fats and fiber.

Conclusion: A Diverse Approach to Veganism

The question of why some vegans not eat oil reveals the diverse motivations within the vegan movement. Whether driven by a commitment to optimal health through a WFPB diet, ethical concerns about the environmental impact of specific oils like palm oil, or simply a preference for less processed foods, the reasons are well-founded and rooted in personal values. The decision to eliminate added oils is not a rule for all vegans but a personal choice that reflects an individual's specific health goals and ethical considerations. The availability of whole food alternatives and oil-free cooking methods makes this a feasible and rewarding path for many who choose it. For those interested in exploring this lifestyle further, resources like the PLANTSTRONG blog offer practical guidance for starting an oil-free, whole food diet. Ultimately, the conversation highlights that veganism is a broad lifestyle with many paths to a more compassionate and healthier way of living.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most cooking oils, being derived from plants, are technically vegan as they do not contain animal products. However, some vegans avoid them for health, environmental, or ethical reasons related to production methods.

A WFPB diet emphasizes whole, unprocessed plant foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes while excluding animal products and highly processed ingredients, which includes added oils.

While a vegan diet is generally healthy, one high in added oils can still pose risks. These include high caloric intake, potential weight gain, increased inflammation (especially from certain seed oils high in omega-6s), and potential negative impacts on arterial health.

You can cook without oil by using alternatives like water, vegetable broth, or tamari for sautéing. For baking, use mashed fruit like bananas or applesauce. Flavor can be enhanced with herbs, spices, vinegar, and citrus juices.

Some vegans avoid palm oil due to the massive deforestation and habitat destruction caused by its production, which has a devastating impact on wildlife, including endangered species like orangutans.

While often praised as a healthy fat, proponents of the oil-free lifestyle argue that even extra virgin olive oil is a processed food and can potentially negatively impact arterial function. They suggest getting healthy fats from whole food sources instead.

Healthy fats are easily obtained from whole foods like avocados, olives, nuts (walnuts, almonds), and seeds (flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds), which offer added fiber and nutrients not found in extracted oil.

Yes, a well-planned, oil-free vegan diet is perfectly balanced. It requires getting adequate fat from whole food sources and ensuring sufficient intake of nutrients like B12, vitamin D, and omega-3s, sometimes with supplementation.