TIP OF THE DAY: Olive Oil Swap

August 6, 2014 at 8:39 am · Filed under Food Holidays, Oil-Vinegar-Dressing, Tip Of The Day

Instead butter on your bread, try olive oil.
Photo courtesy FlavorYourLife.com.

August is National Olive Oil Month, reminding us again that it’s easy to make heart-healthy switches in everyday eating.

While the health benefits of olive oil are no secret (including no cholesterol and less saturated fat than butter), most people are unaware of how simple it is to make the swap. Here are three easy switches:

Olive oil vinaigrette instead of creamy salad dressings

Sautéeing with olive oil instead of butter or other fat

Dipping bread in olive oil instead of spreading it with butter

When you swap butter for olive oil, you use need less oil—so that’s also a savings in calories.

HOW TO SWAP BUTTER FOR OLIVE OIL

1 teaspoon butter > ¾ teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter > 2-¼ teaspoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter > 1-½ tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup butter > 3 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup butter > ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil

2/3 cup butter > ½ cup olive oil

¾ cup > ½ cup + 1 tablespoon

1 cup > ¾ cup

2 cups > 1-½ cups

For more ways to swap butter for olive oil in everyday recipes, visit Pompeian.com.

You can also print out Pompeian’s butter to olive oil conversion chart and hang it on the fridge.

MOVIE POPCORN OIL

What kind of oil is in and on your movie popcorn?

Most movie theaters pop the kernels in coconut oil. Coconut oil is 86% saturated fat, the kind that raises cholesterol. Lard is 38% saturated fat.

The butter-flavored oil topping at the movies is usually partially hydrogenated soybean oil that contains both saturated and trans fats. [Source]

What happened to “butter topping?” The butter made the popcorn soggier than oil. As a bonus to theater owners, oil is also far cheaper than butter.

During the month of August, Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil has arranged with some movie theater chains to offer pure olive oil as an alternative to the standard topping. If you find yourself at one of those venues, let us know how you enjoyed the swap.

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