Flavor Your Life

As a Moms Meet Ambassador I was recently asked to sample a delicious high-quality olive oil provided by the Flavor Your Life campaign, a movement to educate consumers on the benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Europe, including: Taste, Health, Functionality, Heritage, and Quality. The timing was interesting because I had just read a few articles about finding quality extra-virgin olive oil and discovered that much of what adorns the grocery store shelves is nothing but colored canola oil.

As I read through the various articles like this one from Real food for life I picked up a few quick tips to help you discover the health benefits of quality extra-virgin olive oil without being ripped off by an imposter oil.

1. Make sure you look for the European Union PDO certification (Protected Designation of Origin-also known as DOP in Italian). PDO certified products must be produced, processed and prepared in a specific region using traditional methods and have the sensorial qualities attributed to that region.
2. The oil should typically cost more than $10 a liter, beware of cheap oil.
3. The olive oil should taste fruity or peppery.
4. Look for the IOC seal. (Olive Oil Council)

We use olive oil often, typically for salad dressings and light vegetable sautés like the asparagus pictured above. If you are new to olive oil, here are a few great recipes to try. I hope these quick little tips help you get out there and snag some great olive oil. Remember it’s heart healthy, full of healthy fats and delicious!