Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Question
Hello Stacy,

How much extra virgin olive oil would it be safe for me to use in a salad dressing (vinegar and oil) per salad? I am also curious as to how much extra virgin olive oil I would be wise to limit myself to on each of a serving of steamed broccoli and steamed sweet potato per meal, and also how much of this oil should I limit myself to per four cups of air popped popcorn after popping is finished?

I don't use any olive oil during cooking. I am mainly concerned as to how much extra virgin olive oil I need to limit myself to per meal or per day in order to avoid a build-up or clogging in my arteries. Don't people who eat a Mediterranean type of diet and live longer lives still consume a certain amount of olive oil per meal or day? I am trying to do this to avoid butter or margarine.

Thank you very much!

Mike E.

Answer
Hi Michael,
Great question.  Yes you are correct. Eating a Mediterranean diet means that you are focusing on eating more fruit, vegetables, lean protein such as fish, and grains.  There are limited processed foods and using olive oil instead of butter which contains trans fats are all beneficial to your overall heart health.  Without knowing the particulars of your current health status it makes it difficult to give you a specific amount of oil to eat on any given day.  Are you concerned about your weight? 1 Tablespoon is equivalent to approximately 100 calories so that is something you should take into consideration in your overall daily intake.  If you give me your height and weight I can tell you how many calories you should aim for.  Have you considered using a spray oil pump?

There are several on Amazon.com that you might want to purchase.  Any of these products make it easier to control the amount of oil you are adding to your foods.

Good luck.

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