Product Review of Whole Foods Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Organic extra virgin olive oil is a staple in my home. I have tried several different brands. Whole Foods' 365 Everyday Value organic extra virgin olive oil is one of the best. Whole Foods' organic extra virgin olive oil comes in a dark green bottle with a metal cap and is sealed for quality assurance. It is cold pressed, certified Kosher and is a product of Italy.

I typically get the 16.9 fluid ounce bottle, which surprisingly is usually cheaper per ounce than the larger size. The olive oil bottle has a label on the front with an attractive picture of amber-colored olive fields.

Whole Foods' 365 Everyday Value organic extra virgin olive oil is a very high quality oil. It can hold its own against more expensive, gourmet olive oils. Some of the competitors at Whole Foods, though pricey, were not organic.

When shopping at Wal-Mart, my usual grocery store, I typically purchase Star Special Reserve Italian organic extra virgin olive oil. Star organic olive oil is less expensive than Whole Foods' oil, but it also can't measure up in terms of quality. Star olive oil comes in a clear bottle, and has the USDA organic label on the front. The label clearly states that it comes from the first cold press. However, it isn't as rich and dark as Whole Foods' organic olive oil. Furthermore, Whole Foods' product is only about $.75 more expensive than the Star organic olive oil.

Extra virgin olive oil contains large quantities of healthy monounsaturated fat. This makes it superior to other vegetable cooking oils, which consist primarily of polyunsaturated oils. It has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can promote good health. It's also very high in vitamin E and phytochemicals. There are over thirty separate plant compounds in olive oil which contribute health benefits.

Extra virgin olive oil been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. It's important to choose a high quality oil that hasn't been heavily processed to get the most benefits. It must also be protected from light and stored in a cool place to maintain its healthful properties.

I use organic extra virgin olive oil regularly in pasta dishes, soups and homemade bread. I also use it to cook eggs and as a moisturizer for my skin. Whole Foods' organic olive oil has a more potent scent and flavor than less expensive olive oils. I definitely preferred Whole Foods' dark green bottle to Star's clear bottle. It did a much better job of protecting the olive oil from suffering from the effects of ambient light.

Ultimately, I felt more confident that I was getting health benefits from the Whole Foods oil Star olive oil was an acceptable product for the price, but it looked and smelled cheaper. Whole Foods 365 Everyday Organic extra virgin olive oil was a superior product and an overall better value. It was definitely worth taking an occasional trip out of my way to Whole Foods and paying a few extra pennies to get the better quality product.

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Image Credit: SXC.HU pawel_231

Mayo Clinic: Olive oil: What are the health benefits? http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037