If you’ve looked into the Mediterranean diet, you know that switching to heart-healthy
fats is a key component. You can do this by replacing solid fats such as butter,
margarine and lard with an unsaturated fat such as olive oil or canola oil.
Olive is the oil of choice for dressings and in marinades. The goal is to consume at least four tablespoons of olive oil per day, while keeping within your calorie budget.
But this brings up the question about using olive oil be for cooking.
Dr. Carolyn Dunn, RD, LDN addressed this topic in the Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent
Diabetes (ESMMPD) blog. Dr. Dunn is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emerita at NC State. She works with the ESMMPD program and was one of the original developers of the NC State’s program Med Instead of Meds that focuses on the Mediterranean diet.
She answered this question with a simple (or maybe not so simple) “yes and no”. She
said: “If you have a $40 bottle of olive oil, save it for a special splash on top of a salad oruse it as a dipping oil for bread. If you have a medium or even low-priced olive oil, it is just fine for cooking, even at high heat.”
But, what about those reports about chemicals changes in the oil if it is heated? Doesn’t the oil oxidize and make free radicals that can damage our cells. Dunn responds that for the amount of time needed to heat the olive oil there won’t be much oxidation. Plus, olive oil has vitamin E a natural antioxidant. If the oil is refined, many are, it will have even less of a chance of oxidizing when heated.
Another part of the olive oil and cooking question, what about the smoke point? The
smoke point is a temperature at which the oil will smoke, if it gets hotter it will reach a
flashpoint and catch on fire. The smoke point for olive oil varies depending on the
brand, however, most don’t reach the smoke point until around 375 or 400 degrees. If the oil is refined, the smoke point will be even higher as impurities have been removed. So, if olive or any oil reaches the smoking point, it should be thrown out and start again with fresh oil.
I asked Dr. Dunn specifically about roasting vegetables in the oven in olive oil. She said
olive oil is fine for roasting vegetables at 375 degrees F. It will add a good flavor as well as allowing the veggies to brown. Of course, other oils such as canola or peanut would work well, too.
What about rancidity, isn’t that a sign of oxidation? Oil that has gone rancid should not be used. It is easy to tell when oil is rancid because it will have a very off smell. If the oil is rancid, throw it out. To keep this from happening, buy small containers so that you use it quickly and store in an airtight bottle out of the light.
According to Dunn, The Bottom line: olive oil is just fine for most of your cooking, even pan frying. If you are looking for a healthy oil without the flavor of olive oil, try canola or grapeseed oil.
If you want to know more about the Mediterranean Diet, check out medinteasdofmeds.com. For more information on Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent
Diabetes go to their website . This is a CDC recognized, 12-month diabetes prevention program based on strategies proven to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Both programs have been developed by NC State University and N.C. Cooperative Extension.
Resources:
Eat Smart, Move More - Prevent Diabetes
Eat Smart, Move More - Prevent Diabetes - Can I Cook With Olive Oil
Syracuse is a Family and Consumer Science team member and can be reached at NC
Cooperative Extension, Brunswick County Center 910-253-2610 or by email at
clsyracu@ncsu.edu
