The primary oils I use for cooking are olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, butter and ghee. I drizzle olive oil over most things I make. It is one of the healthiest oils, but you have to make sure what you use is real, good quality olive oil.
Benefits
There are 3 grades of olive: refined, virgin and extra virgin. Extra virgin olive oil is what you want for the most health benefits. It is the least processed. It is a key food in the Mediterranean diet. It contains antioxidants, including Vitamin E. It is a monounsaturated fat, an omega 3 fat. Seed oils are omega 6 fats which are polyunsaturated.
Olive oil health benefits include:
- Decreases inflammation
- Lowers risk of heart disease
- Protects against cancer and cell damage
- Helps with cholesterol by lowering LDL (bad) and raising HDL (good)
- Good for the skin and can be used to make skin care products
- Protects against memory loss and nerve issues
How to choose
There are tons of olive oil brands, but many aren’t real olive oil. They can be refined and sometimes contain other cheaper oils like canola. The best way to choose a good quality olive is to buy:
- extra virgin which is the purest form of olive oil
- avoid light olive oil
- review the country of origin. It should be from one grower or country like Italy or Greece.
- buy olive oil that’s in dark glass or metal, avoid plastic and clear glass
- make sure there is a harvest date on the bottle
- look for certification seals on the label
Brands
I tend to buy Partanna Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil or California Olive Oil’s 100% California Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Consumer Reports has a list of approved olive oils here.
Challenge:
Review your olive oil usage and the brand you use. Choose one from the Consumer Reports recommended list, if you’re not sure of which brand to buy. Aldi’s brand is on the list and is reasonably priced, so that may be a good one to start out with if you live near an Aldi’s. I buy Partanna from Walmart’s website and have it shipped to me. It is also reasonably priced.
Resources:
https://www.consumerreports.org/health/cooking-oils/how-to-choose-a-good-extra-virgin-olive-oil-a8557720032/
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/how-to-buy-olive-oil-beginners-guide