I read that it is a very healthy habit to consume 2 tablespoons of olive oil a day, but for me that is sometimes not possible while cooking since I do a lot of oriental cooking and olive oil is too flavorful for those recipes. I love to eat olives and just wondered how many I would have to consume in a day to equal the 2 Tbsp. of oil.

My chiropractor says he puts his in his oatmeal in the morning. From the way he rolled his eyes , I'm not sure whether he considered that a pleasant experience or not.

Let me think in grams.... 2 tablespoons makes approx 25 grams of olive oil, from 1 kg olives you get 200 grams of olive oil... you should eat more than 100 grams of olives (let's say around 100 grams considering that you will not eat the stones!). I think it's a bit too much....
On the other side I would definitely NOT add olive oil to my oatmeal

I'm, not sure that the olives one would purchase to eat would have the same 'medicinal' impact as they are most often pickled in brine.

Can you not buy olive oil pills at a health food store?

Slurping back 2 tablespoons a day could take you through a small bottle (250 ml) in 8 days. Remember that you'd be adding about 240 calories to your diet.

Jerry, from what I've read, one does need a specific amount of oil in the diet to maintain health. I don't know what the gram count for fat is,but olive oil is considered a healthy addition. I should remember more of the specifics when I read these things.

Giulia, I just measured out 100 grams of pitted olives which is 27 medium sized ones. Probably more than I would eat on most days.

Thanks for the input. I now know what I'm facing. Hmm. I may have to develop a taste for pork stir fry done in olive oil!

Earline, I don't see why you couldn't do your usual stir fry with olive oil. Pick an olive oil that is mild and try it.

And you certainly don't have to resort to putting it in oatmeal. How about dipping a little bread in olive oil? You can also try dipping some raw vegetables in olive oil, like fennel. And then there's always salad dressing. You can tell I love olive oil, I even bake cakes with olive oil!

-Krista

Slurping down two tablespoons of EVO oil would probably affect your health mainly because it would be a very good laxative. Other than this, I would nost suggest adding two tablespoons of plain fat to your diet. While it is true that EVO oil is one of the healthiest fats around, it is also true that our health is not just impacted by the quality of the fats we ingest but also by their amount. A totally fatless diet is totally unhealthy, since fats are much needed both for tha calories they provide and for the way cells use them to build some of their structures (and let's not forget that some vitamins are availeble only in fats), but a balanced diet does not need more fats, rather most of us already eat too may fats! So, insteaed of adding more fats to your diet, consider using olive oil in your food whenever the recipe allows for it, for isntance using mainly vinaigrette or citronnette to garnish your salads.

What about taking fish oil capsules? I take one every day. I don't know if it has the same effects as you are looking for, Earline, but our pediatrician recommends it as does my doc.
Those omega-3 oils are supposed to be very good for you, too.

Sandra

My father is on fish factor for his "trigliceridi" problem. It's a therapy, nothine else, if you don't have bllod fats problems already you don't need to take it, and it may even be a bad idea since fish oils can act as a quite strong laxative, and taking it (especially daily) can do bad things to your ability to "go" without help. So, if you are diagnosed with a cholesterol or "trigliceridi" problem, the fish factor can be a suitable therapy, if you are not, save your dygestive system, in particular its final part, by not taking it.

Sandra, I tried the salmon oil supplements but they gave me a horrible case of the all-day burps. I have a disfunctional gall bladder, so I have to severely limit my intake of fats. Salmon is recommended as 2 times a week in your diet, but the only salmon I can eat is the lean tail section. I can't even order it in a restaurant because I can't be guaranteed a tail section. Living in Podunk Holler the way we do, we only get fresh fish when we drive 3 hours to/from Fresh Market in Nashville.

Olive oil doesn't upset my system the way meat and (some) fish fats do. But a Japanese dish made with olive oil just doesn't cut it.

Thank you Alice for your insight on the use of oils in the diet. That is all very interesting.

It's a good thing I like to eat olives! I actually have them for breakfast.

quote:

Originally posted by Earline:
Thank you Alice for your insight on the use of oils in the diet. That is all very interesting.

Having high levels of cholesterol and a doctor willing to explain things helps a lot ;-P

I don't think you have to spoon down 2 TBSP of olive oil... I think you can include them in your food, like drizzled on things or in salads. I love good oil, but wouldn't think of slurping down two soup spoons full for drill.

I make my own bread which uses 20ml (1 +1/3 tablespoons) of olive oil - I do a cinnamon sultana version as well, which makes a low fat 'cake'. There are lots of ways you can get it into your diet without spooning it down neat - I could probably eat that much dipping away merrily with a piece of bread, but any oil straight would make me nauseous (and the other effect).

When we go to our local Italian restaurant that is not a chain, they bring you freshly baked bread with a dish of olive oil. I always have to ask for the balsamic vinegar, however. Anyway, I can sit and slurp that up with no problem! My only problem, is that since I am teetering on the pre-diabetic thing, I severely limit my intake of bread made with enriched flour.

My sister bought me a bunch of tiny yellow squashes at the local farmer's market, so for dinner tonight I sauteed them with some baby zucchini and celery and Italian seasoning -- sauteed in 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Of course, we didn't eat it all, so that's leftovers for tomorrow. It really is difficult for me to get 2 Tbsps. in a day.

But I'm working on it with all the suggestions I have received.

quote:

Originally posted by Earline:

Thanks for the input. I now know what I'm facing. Hmm. I may have to develop a taste for pork stir fry done in olive oil!

Hmmm. I do all my cooking in olive oil including stir fry. If I use my standard Bertolli cheap olive oil I haven't found that it adds that much flavor. Now my high priced Fratolli stuff, that packs a fabulous flavor.

And if you switch to Szechuan? (I think it's szechuan that is the spicy chinese cooking) you definitely won't notice any olive oil taste.

quote:

Originally posted by Earline:
When we go to our local Italian restaurant that is not a chain, they bring you freshly baked bread with a dish of olive oil.

Notice, while at it, that no Italian resturant in italy will erve you the same thing. In some areas you may ask for fettunta (a slice of Tuscan or Umbrian bread, lightly toasted, smeared with a little salt and oil), but that is not common anywhere outside these two regions. We eat lots of bread, but we eat it with our food. An Italian will take a bit of the food (vegetables, cheeses, meats, fish, even fruit sometimes, not pasta or risotto and not desserts) and a bit of the bread and chew them togheter, or mop up the various sauces left by the food on the plate. Or just eat dry bread.

Hmmm. I hadn't thought about using the cheap stuff for oriental cooking. Do you still get the same health benefits from the Not Virgin olive oil? I don't care for szechuan because not only do I not like spicy food, but my disfunctional gall bladder discourages it!

Alice, I guess I'm getting dotty in my old age, but I could have sworn that we had bread with olive oil in Italy. We were in Firenze, Roma, and the Amalfi coast. Would it be different in different parts of the country?

I remember my first trip to Italy, I asked for butter for my bread 3 times and the waiter just never bothered to bring it. I realized quickly that bread with butter was definitely not to be considered!

Earline, if you order a salad they will bring out the oil and vinegar and that may have been what you are remembering from your trip.

Also, you can get extra virgin olive oil that is lighter in flavor and color that would work well for your stir fry. Try to find one that has a more nut-like flavor instead of grassy or peppery flavors and I think you will be converted!

There is also Virgin olive oil or Pure olive oil, but these are from the second pressing and Pure is a more processed and refined product that I wouldn't bother with.

And then there are the so-called "light" or "lite" olive oils, but they may be even more processed and might be even be mixed with other types of oil, so I would steer clear of them.

-Krista

Also, some very touristy resturants catering mainly to tourists may bring the oil with the bread, for the simple reason that they are asked so often that they started this habit just to speed up things.

As I said, apart from "fettunta", which is not how bread is served regularly but rather a snack food or an "antipasto", Italians don't add any fat to the bread, with one exception. Bread lightly smeared with butter and jam or honey is the most popular Italian breakfast, at least at home. During meals (breakfast is not a meal in Italian culture, rather a smack) bread is eaten along with other foods (in the very same mouthful!) or ued to scoop up juices, fats and sauces from the plates, and therefore does not need to be oiled or buttered or anything.

OK, I had written "cheap olive oil" on my shopping list, but I will change that now! Krista, do you have any suggestions as to brand names for the lighter flavored oil?

Alice, so then it's OK to "sop"? I did it because I figured that people would know I was a tourist and could also probably tell that I was an American tourist, so they would cut me some slack with the table manners .

Earline,

I would not use olive oil of any sort for stir frying, as the whole point is to sear foods over high heat, which tends to burn olive oil.

That's why peanut oil is recommended for Asian cooking. It has a higher burning point.

Pat

Pat, unfortunately I am allergic to peanuts. That's also why I have trouble in some Chinese restaurants. I just don't go there any more. I cook my Chinese at home.

I cheat on the use of oil. Instead of adding oil for the different ingredients, I add mirin. The basic sauce for Japanese cooking is 3 Tbsp. soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. sake, 1 Tbsp. sugar. Instead I just use the soy sauce and substitute the mirin for the other two. Makes quite a tasty stir fry and also cuts down on the calories. It is also very good if you're adding a lot of greens, i.e. kale, chard. Add the mirin, put the lid on, let it steam for a minute or so. Tastes very good.

quote:

Originally posted by Earline:
Alice, so then it's OK to "sop"?

Absolutely, unless you are ata posh restaurant. Absolutely never do it sticking the bread in the fork though!

Eccomi, while it is true that peanut oil stands higher temperatures, olive oil is actually one of the fats that resists better to heat and in the whole mediteranean area the common suggestion is that when frying one should use either lard (the most heat-resistent) or, for the foods that are not fit to it, or if you are veg or don't eat pork, olive oil for frying. peanut oil, although being present on the market, is extremely unusual amdn amongst the "cultural" fats (in this area), olive oil is the one to be used.
The reason why peanut oil is to be used in chinese cooking is not eminently that it has a highier smoke point, but for flavor reasons: olive oil just doesn't taste right with Chinese food!

On the other hand, any fat loses some of its properties when heavily heated, and besides the whole process of frying is done so that the food absorbs theoretically no fat at all (if the frying is properly done!), since the outer layer of the food is supposed to instantly seal off the fat. So, if you are having fried food, of any type, you are only eating low-quality fat (regardless of what fat it was to start with) in varying amounts dependin on how hot the frying was: the cooler, the more fat was absorbed, the hotter the less, and with frying your goal is to use less.

quote:

Originally posted by Alice Twain:

quote:

Originally posted by Earline:
Alice, so then it's OK to "sop"?

Absolutely, unless you are ata posh restaurant. Absolutely never do it sticking the bread in the fork though!

Back to the bread subject. In several regions of central Italy, in particular in Tuscany and Umbria, bread is made totally without salt, while all of the other foods tend to be way too salty. This derives from an ancient tradition connected to a tax: bakers prepared their bread without salt not to pay this tax. Obviously, if you eat bread and other foods separately, you get a too saltless bread and a too salty "other food" (think of Tuscan prosciutto). The only way to balance out the tastes is to eat a mouthful of both at the same time.
Also, in Italian any food, with the exception of pasta, is called simply "companatico", which means "to be had with bread".