Buy a Great Olive Oil (and One for Everyday Use)

It’s the Easiest Way to Add Flavor to Your New Green Diet

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30 Days to Green Your Diet - Use olive oil to cook and top foods.

Photo: Ivan Bajic / Istock

By Deborah Barrow

30 Days to a Greener Diet - Day 16

Fruity and delicious, olive oil forms the basis of the ultra-healthy Mediterranean diet. Today it is also a basic element of the new green cuisine.

Use a good everyday olive oil such as Colavita or Bertolli for everyday sautés and for drizzling over meats and vegetables you are going to roast or grill. Look for the words extra-virgin on the label.

Also find a super-premium olive oil for salad dressings, for drizzling over cooked vegetables, and for dipping bread (instead of using butter). Yes, these expensive oils are an extravagance, but a minor one, and they will increase the enjoyment and health rewards of your food every day. While we all know that extra-virgin olive oil is one of the healthiest kinds of fat you can use, there are some that are so aromatic and heady, they’re used like a fine wine on salads, on artisan breads, for drizzling over heirloom vegetables, and more.

For the gourmet, these five brands stand out:
Apollo
McEvoy Ranch
Tehama Gold
Mylopotamos EVOO
New York City Olive Oil Coop Oil

Enjoy healthy olive oil in these recipes:
Oven-Roasted Vegetables Recipe
Tortellini Salad with Pine Nuts Recipe

Learn more about the health benefits of olive oil.