A delicious tasting nutritional oil, perfect for all your cooking needs

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Great for all cooking methods

Olive oil nutritional facts

An excellent source of monounsaturated fats

Comparison with other oils

Great for all cooking methods
Olive oil helps to slow the cooking process and is very stable at high temperatures, making it an excellent choice for many different types of cooking methods. When used for cooking, olive oil brings out the true flavors of food and it retains all of its nutritional benefits, even when cooking with high heat.

Olive oil is ideal for frying because it is the only cooking oil that preserves the actual taste of the food as it is fried. Using olive oil instead of butter in baking allows some of the fat required for a recipe to be eliminated. Not only that, but the natural antioxidants (such as vitamin E) in olive oil help to keep baked items fresher for a longer period compared to items baked with butter. If you are worried about baked items having a strong olive taste, however you can use light olive oil, which has a lighter flavor making it ideal for baking cakes, sweetly flavored breads, or rolls.

So, olive oil it's not only about salad dressings and marinades. Next time you think of baking, grilling, frying or sautéing think olive oil! It's not only healthier, but it also tastes better. The following paragraphs gives you valuable information on the health-enhancing nutrients of olive oil and how it compares with other oils, so keep reading.

Olive oil nutritional facts
Olive oil is an excellent alternative to butter or margarine for use in food preparation or for use as a condiment. It enhances the taste of many foods and it has proven health benefits. Because olive oil is so flavorful, less is required to add flavor to food. This reduces the calories and the total fat content of food prepared or served with olive oil compared to food prepared with other less flavorful oils.

Quantity	Energy (calories)	Carbs (grams)	Protein grams)	Cholesterol (milligrams)	Fat (grams)	Saturated Fat (grams)
1 cup	1910	0	0	0	216	29.2
1 tbsp	125	0	0	0	14	1.9

One huge advantage over other vegetable oils is that is the only one that can be consumed as it is, freshly pressed from the fruit, and the only one that can be created simply by pressing the raw material, in this case olives. Why is this so important? Because most commercial available vegetable oils are refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD), and contain chemicals used in processing which results into a significant loss of their valuable nutrients.

An excellent source of monounsaturated fats
Olive oil contains a high percentage of monounsaturated fat, which is healthier than the polyunsaturated fats found in corn oil and much healthier than the saturated fats found in butter. Because olive oil is vegetable based, it contains no cholesterol.

Types of Fat Structures
Unsaturated Fats
Polyunsaturated Fat	The main sources of polyunsaturated fats are seeds, nuts, grains, and vegetables. Polyunsaturated fat is usually in a liquid state at room temperature and also when chilled. It lowers the overall cholesterol level, but it also reduces HDL or good cholesterol. Recommended daily allowances of polyunsaturated fats should be part of a balanced diet, but some tests have shown that high consumption may actually be damaging to the digestion and nervous systems, so moderation is the key for a balanced and healthy diet. Omega-3 fatty acid is a type of polyunsaturated fat that is especially healthy. Omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, guard against plaque buildup in the arteries, and aid in brain development. It is found in some plant oils and in the tissues of all sea creatures. Among the plant oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids are flax seed, canola, and soybean oil. Fish that are particularly high in omega-3 are sardines, herring, tuna, and salmon.
Monounsaturated Fat	Most animal and vegetable fats contain monounsaturated fat, but in varying quantities. It is usually in liquid form at room temperature, but it may begin to solidify if it is chilled. Monounsaturated fat is the most desirable type of fat in the diet because it helps to decrease the LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood and helps to increase the HDL (good) cholesterol. Good sources of monounsaturated fat are olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and most nuts. Olive oil has the highest percentage (about 77%) of monounsaturated fat of any edible oil.
Saturated Fats
Saturated Fat	Animal meats, butter, whole milk, and some tropical plant oils, such as palm and coconut, are the main sources of saturated fat, which is the least healthy type of fat. Saturated fat raises the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol, which causes numerous health problems if consumed in large quantities. Most saturated fats are solid at room temperature.
Hydrogenated Oils	Trans-fatty acid, also known as trans-fat, is formed when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil in order to change the liquid oil into a solid at room temperature. This process is known as hydrogenation, which also transforms the unsaturated fats of the liquid oils into saturated fat. Like saturated fat, trans-fat may raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart related diseases. Many shortenings, margarine, and commercially baked goods are high in trans-fatty acids. One advantage that hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats have is that they are less likely to turn rancid, which is very beneficial to the commercial food industry in creating foods with a longer shelf life. As with any type of food containing saturated fat, foods containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat should be enjoyed in moderation in order to maintain a balanced and healthy diet.

Comparison with other oils
The table below shows how olive oil compares with other popular oils in fat composition.

Type of Oil	Monounsaturated	Polyunsaturated	Saturated
Olive Oil	77%	9%	14%
Canola Oil	62%	32%	6%
Peanut Oil	49%	33%	18%
Corn Oil	25%	62%	13%
Soybean Oil	24%	61%	15%
Sunflower Oil	20%	69%	11%
Safflower Oil	13%	77%	10%

Regardless of the type or grade, olive oil contains 120 calories per tablespoon. In fact, all edible food oils contain about 120 calories per tablespoon. When used for cooking, the healthy aspects of olive oil do not change as the oil is heated.

Olive oil is good source of the antioxidant, vitamin E. It contains 1.6 mg. of vitamin E per tablespoon, which is 8% of the recommended daily allowance.