Mediterranean Diet: Olive Oil versus Butter

mediterranean diet - healthy oil

When you hear about the Mediterranean Diet there seems to be a lot of variations on what exactly the Medi Diet is. But one common thread definitely runs through every interpretation: extra virgin olive oil. And travelling to the Mediterranean region of the world you will see why. Most of the foods are cooked in oil rather than butter. Veggies, meats, pastas and more. While French and even American cooking may be rich with butter in quite a lot of dishes – in the Mediterranean, the fat of choice is olive oil. So lets find out why EVOO beats butter when it comes to health..

evoo from Eataly NYC

Last month (May) was Mediterranean Diet Month – but as we gear up for the summer months ahead, healthy eating lingers in our daily discussions and thoughts. How can I eat healthier? How can I make small changes to feed my family better? Well according to the Mediterranean Diet, one change you may want to make is to lighten up on the butter and infuse your cooking with extra virgin olive oil!..

Let’s chat butter..
Butter is a concentrated source of milkfat (80%) with some water and nonfat milk solids. It is made from milk, cream or both.
100 calories per tablespoon. 12 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 3 grams monounsaturated fat. 31mg cholesterol, 82 mg sodium – source

Lets chat extra virgin olive oil..
Olive oil is a natural product (kinda like a juice) which preserves the taste, aroma, vitamins and properties of the olive fruit. Olive oil can be consumed as it is – freshly pressed from the fruit. Choose extra virgin olive oil for the most health benefits-its processing is minimal and maintains the most nutritional elements such as vitamin E and phenols.
120 calories per tablespoon. 14 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fats, 12 grams healthy fats, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium – source

Super food: olive oil..
Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants.
Studies have shown that EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) assists in raising HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

One of my favorite olive oil infused recipes is focaccia bread.

Get my recipe for Summertime Whole Wheat Lemon Herbed Focaccia Bread..

Summertime Focaccia

Other olive oil-infused recipes can included roasted veggies, pesto sauce, marinara, oil-drizzled pizza or a very classic summer salad with balsamic vinegar and EVOO dressing.

What’s your fave olive oil-infused healthy recipe?