Can Palm Oil Fit into a Healthy Diet?

 Only If We Stop Thinking in Black and White

Author: Vijay Thakkar, Author of Eating Less is Making You Fat

India

healthysoch

New Delhi, June 3, 2025:

We live in a world where food is no longer just food. It’s morality, identity, trend, and often, trauma. Somewhere along the way, eating became more about rules than nourishment. Carbs are the enemy one week, fat the next. And oils like palm oil? They’re not just frowned upon, they’re villainised. But let’s take a breath.

Because what we now know, thanks to real-world psychology and decades of nutrition research, is this: rigid dietary control doesn’t work. In fact, the more rules we create around food, the more likely we are to break them. And when we do, it’s rarely with grace. We fall off the wagon, hard. Cue guilt, bingeing, self-loathing, and eventually… giving up.

It’s a pattern I’ve seen too many times. People hop from keto to vegan to paleo to low-fat, high-carb Pritikin-style diets like they’re changing outfits, all in search of the perfect formula. Yet the weight keeps returning. The fatigue lingers. And the love-hate relationship with food deepens. If you’re feeling this way, you’re not alone. Many others are struggling with the same issues. But there’s a way out, a way to break free from this cycle and feel liberated.

So let’s stop and ask: what if the problem isn’t the food, but the thinking?

In nutritional psychology, we call it dichotomous or binary thinking; it’s developing an all-or-nothing mindset that says food is either “clean” or “junk,” and you’re either “on” or “off” the diet. This mindset is rooted in perfectionism and fear and is a major predictor of binge eating, diet burnout, and weight regain. It can lead to unhealthy relationships with food, feelings of guilt and failure, and ultimately, can sabotage your efforts to maintain a healthy diet.

Which brings us back to palm oil.

No, palm oil isn’t a miracle food, but it isn’t poison either. It’s just fat, a cooking medium used for generations, especially in African, Indian, and Southeast Asian kitchens. The problem isn’t the oil. The problem is how we think about it.

When we categorise palm oil as “bad,” we trigger the same food guilt spiral that derails diets in the first place. We avoid it obsessively, then feel like failures when we “slip.” But what if I told you that we can stop fearing foods and begin to fit them into our diets mindfully while staying healthy and losing weight?

That’s where flexible dietary restraint comes in. Unlike rigid diets, flexible restraint encourages awareness over avoidance. You meet your protein needs (at least 1.2g/kg of body weight), get your daily fibre (~15g per 1000 kcal), and the freedom to oscillate between carbs and fat for energy while creating a modest daily calorie deficit of 100-200 kcal. Within that framework, you allow yourself room for your favourite foods—even the so-called “bad” ones. It’s about taking control of your diet, not letting it control you. It’s about feeling empowered in your food choices.

That could mean a spoonful of palm oil in your home-cooked curry, a banana in your smoothie, or dessert with friends. For instance, you can use palm oil to sauté vegetables or as a base for a homemade salad dressing. These are just a few ways to incorporate palm oil into your diet in a mindful and healthy way.

By eating in this fashion, we’re not only fuelling our bodies but also healing our relationship with food. We’re breaking the cycle of guilt and shame and creating consistency, which leads to real, lasting health.

The truth is, nutrition isn’t a moral code. There is no holy grail of clean eating. All foods—even sugar, fat, and palm oil — have a place in a healthy diet if consumed in moderation and context.

We don’t need more food rules. We need more food wisdom. We need to move from “Should I eat this?” to “How can I include this mindfully?” And that shift doesn’t just help your waistline. It helps your mind.

So yes, palm oil can fit into a healthy diet—not because it’s magical, but because you are now aware and capable of moderation. And that, more than any trendy rule or list of superfoods, is what sustains real transformation.

Because the smartest diets? They don’t rely on fear. They rely on flexibility.