Canola / rapeseed oil
Low in saturated fat with some omega-3 ALA, and cheap for everyday cooking.
1 Amount
How it fits your macros
Get your daily targets with the macro calculator to see what share of your day this portion covers.
Canola / rapeseed oil for gym-goers
Per 100 g, canola / rapeseed oil provides 884 kcal, 0 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate (0 g fiber, 0 g sugars) and 100 g fat (7.4 g saturated). Most of what it brings is fat. Add a protein source to turn it into a balanced meal.
A typical serving (1 tbsp, about 14 g) comes to roughly 124 kcal and 0 g protein.
These are typical averages. Brand, variety, ripeness and cooking method all shift the numbers, so weigh food in the same state (raw or cooked) as the entry you log.
About Canola / rapeseed oil
Canola oil, also sold as rapeseed oil, comes from rapeseed varieties bred to be low in erucic acid. It has one of the lowest saturated fat levels among common cooking oils, about 7 g per 100 g, roughly half that of olive oil. Most of the rest is monounsaturated, with a meaningful amount of plant omega-3 ALA. It's neutral in taste and cheap.
In a gym diet
If you batch-cook chicken, rice and vegetables, canola is the budget everyday fat. It fills the fat slot in your macros and does nothing for protein. At about 125 kcal per tablespoon, it still needs measuring on a cut.
Preparation and cooking
Refined canola oil has a fairly high smoke point, so roasting, stir-frying and baking are all fine. In many muffin and banana-bread recipes it can replace butter, often at around three quarters of the butter's weight.
Buying and storage
The label should list canola or rapeseed oil as the only ingredient. Generic vegetable oil is mostly rapeseed in some countries, but check. Keep it sealed and out of the light, because the polyunsaturated fats can go rancid, which you'll notice as a paint-like smell.
Things to watch
Mainstream food-safety agencies consider canola oil safe; online claims that it's toxic aren't supported. The practical caveats are calorie density and not reusing frying oil over and over at high heat.
Meal ideas
- Meal-prep tray: chicken breast, peppers and onions roasted with canola oil and fajita spice.
- Protein muffins made with oats, whey, banana and a little canola oil instead of butter.
- Egg-fried rice using leftover rice, peas, egg whites and a measured spoon of canola oil.
Nutrient highlights
None of the tracked vitamins and minerals reaches 10% of the Daily Value per 100 g, so you're eating it mainly for its macros.
How it ranks among 12 Fats & Oils
| Protein per 100 kcal | 0.0 g | #9 of 12 |
| Protein per 100 g | 0 g | #9 of 12 |
| Fiber per 100 g | 0 g | #3 of 12 |
| Lowest calories per 100 g | 884 kcal | #8 of 12 |
Ranked within this category of the gym.diet food database (1 = best for that measure).
Similar foods
Olive oil (incl. extra virgin)
884 kcal · P 0 · C 0 · F 100
→Coconut oil
892 kcal · P 0 · C 0 · F 99.1
→Avocado oil
884 kcal · P 0 · C 0 · F 100
→Flaxseed oil
884 kcal · P 0.1 · C 0 · F 100
→Ghee / clarified butter
876 kcal · P 0.3 · C 0 · F 99.5
→Butter, salted
717 kcal · P 0.9 · C 0.1 · F 81.1
Compare Canola / rapeseed oil with Olive oil (incl. extra virgin) →
Source
Approximate per-100 g values compiled from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy / Foundation Foods), rounded. Daily Values are the U.S. FDA reference amounts for adults (2,000 kcal diet).
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in canola / rapeseed oil?
Canola / rapeseed oil has about 884 kcal per 100 g, or roughly 124 kcal per 1 tbsp (14 g).
How much protein is in canola / rapeseed oil?
About 0 g of protein per 100 g and 0 g per 1 tbsp. That works out to 0.0 g per 100 kcal, so it's not primarily a protein source.
Is canola / rapeseed oil good for cutting or bulking?
It's calorie-dense, which makes a bulking surplus easier to reach. When cutting, keep an eye on portions.
Is canola oil bad for you?
Major food-safety and nutrition bodies regard it as safe and its fat profile as favorable. Online concerns usually target industrial processing or seed oils in general, and the evidence doesn't show harm in normal amounts. Moderation matters mainly because of calories.
Is rapeseed oil the same as canola oil?
Canola is a type of rapeseed bred to be low in erucic acid and glucosinolates. Cooking rapeseed oil sold today comes from these low-erucic varieties, so for practical purposes the two are nutritionally equivalent.
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Values approximate.