Heart-Healthy Staple
Out of all your staple items, which one do you think is heart-healthy?
Ketchup?
Try again…
How about olive oil?
Good choice! Olive oil is a great example of main monounsaturated fatty acids sources. In other words, a good heart-healthy fat.
Now the tricky part is figuring out how to use it.
Apparently, we use three times as much olive oil today as we did 20 years ago, yet quality and labeling standards were set in 1948! So, to help you decide when to use what, have a look at these guidelines:
Olive Oil: this will have a light or neutral flavor, so it’s best for cooking. When shopping, look for bottles containing a light yellow colored oil.
Virgin: this will have a basic flavor and aroma with no extra aromas, such as apple. Apparently, this oil should be used in recipes where olive flavor is important but can’t over-shine the main star, such as in pesto. Look for bottles containing a yellow to green colored oil (sounds appetizing).
Lastly, extra virgin: this oil may have hints of apple, grass, nuts, or tomato. Therefore, it’d be best when you want a pure olive oil flavor, such as in salads or sopped into some crusty French bread. This oil is also yellow to green in color.
As a side note – unlike wine, olive oil doesn’t improve with age and will expire. Throw it out if it smells rancid and funky!
Keep cooking and eating!
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Image courtesy of Pixabay
