When you think about nutrition, cooking oil probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.
However, it’s a product that many of us use on a daily basis and therefore has an impact on our nutrition. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is our number one choice because it’s a great source of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients such as hydroxytyrosol!
The ‘virgin’ component of the olive oil is an important aspect of its nutritional quality. This means that the most fresh juice is used, often categorised by the first ‘press’ of the olives. Something else to keep an eye out for is that your oil is cold pressed, which is a superior method to using heat or chemicals, two processes that will lower nutritional quality.
EVOO is just like any other direct source of dietary fat (think nuts and avocado) - so it’s fairly energy dense. However, this doesn’t mean you should exclude it from your diet! As indicated above, EVOO is a nutritious choice with a great flavour profile that can be used diversely. Fortunately, it has a relatively high smoke point of 200-210 degrees celsius which means you won’t be setting off any fire alarms or harming those precious heat-sensitive nutrients
Next time you’re at the shops, switch out your vegetable, canola or rice bran oil for a more nutritious option