These are the healthiest olive oils to add to your store cupboard
When it comes to healthy home cooking, it's important to choose the right ingredients that make up a meal that's full of whole foods, fibre, protein and healthy fats.
You might have the fibre part down (thanks, legumes and veggies) and be an expert in both lean and plant-based protein sources, but what about the healthy fats on your plate?
The best place to start is by giving your cooking oil collection a once-over (and we'll bet your most-used bottle is olive oil). But which oil is the healthiest one for cooking?
What is the healthiest oil?
We asked Ro Huntriss, dietitian and fertility expert (@dietitianro), to guide us in getting our hands on the best healthy olive oil around.
‘Olive oil is a staple within the Mediterranean diet, a diet known for its positive effects on many aspects of health.’
‘However, when you dig deeper, it’s clear extra virgin olive oil is the healthiest choice as it’s made from cold-pressed olives, which means it's less processed than regular olive oil. It’s also way tastier too, as this gentle approach helps to maintain more of the oil’s aroma, flavour and nutritional value.’ — win, win.
How we test
The Women’s Health Lab put 21 bottles of healthy extra virgin olive oil to the test to see which was the tastiest. Trying each straight-up, drizzled-over salad and double-dipped with sourdough, we’ve found the best high-quality yet totally affordable brands to buy RN.
Best extra virgin olive oil
PICUALIA First Day Harvest extra virgin olive oil 500ml
Known for having a particularly high level of antioxidants, the Spanish picual olive is highly revered in the world of EVOO. Aside from being oh-so-healthy, it’s a total flavour bomb too, with a rich, fresh nutty flavour that brings tomatoes alive.
Best extra virgin olive oil on subscription
Abel and Cole Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1L
We’ve become pretty reliant on our weekly Abel & Cole fruit and veg box delivery to ensure our fridge stays stocked up with the good stuff, so imagine how pleased we were when we realised you could add on the brand’s deliciously salty EVOO too. IRL supermarkets are so overrated.
Best extra virgin olive oil made with Arbequina olives
Belazu First Press Verdemanda Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Belazu is our go-to when looking for fancy ingredients, but this Spanish oil, made with young Arbequina olives, is ideal for every day. Although creamy and sweet to start with, the heat builds, with a delicious hint of basil along the way.
Best Fairtrade extra virgin olive oil
Zaytoun Palestinian Extra Virgin Olive Oil 250ml
Channel your inner Ottolenghi with Zaytoun — a Fairtrade-certified olive oil from the Palestinian West Bank. More fiery than fruity, it’s intensely flavoured, and one we like to save for dipping or whizzing into hummus.
Best budget unfiltered extra virgin olive oil
Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Unfiltered Olive Oil 1L
Filippo Berio, FILIPPO BERIO, filippo berio, fillipo berio oo-olive oil. Apols, the song will now undoubtedly be stuck in your head for the rest of the day but we had to include the brand's unfiltered EVOO. It’s just as healthy as the filtered kind, but with a slightly more rustic, cloudy appearance. It’s made with a blend of olives sourced from across the Med, resulting in tasty notes of citrus, basil and apple, and we think it’s a great price.
Best budget extra virgin olive oil
Morrisons The Best Single Origin Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml
If you get through EVOO faster than Dina Asher-Smith at the Olympics, there’s no point in forking out the big bucks. We were impressed with Morrisons’ budget bottle, made from healthy Spanish picual olives, which gives a tropical, peppery flavour to meals.
Best extra virgin olive oil to buy in bulk
Odysea Greek PDO Kalamata Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tin 5L
Stock up for the year with Odysea’s 5L tin of quality Greek extra virgin olive oil. You’ll have probably heard of the “kalamata” olive, but fun fact: the name actually refers to the protected region, as opposed to the fruit. With fruity tomato and apple notes, your Greek salad will thank you for it. And we hate to even think about it, but you'll be well prepared should we ever go into another lockdown too…
Best restaurant-quality extra virgin olive oil
Brindisa North & South Olive Oil
Recreate tapas night at home, with this sustainable Spanish olive oil from Brindisa’s curated range. Fresh and light, with hints of young green olives, herbs and juicy figs, our panel found they couldn’t resist going back for more.
Best for salad dressing
Clearspring Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1L
Taking the mild and fruity olives from Calabria and blending them with more pungent varieties from Puglia, means you’re left with a perfectly balanced Italian olive oil, ideal for everyday healthy salad dressings.
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