Surely the title has caught your attention, right? You must have thought that butter does not need substitutes. Extra virgin olive oil for some recipes and butter for others. But thinking about your health, we are obliged to tell you why you can use EVOO instead of butter and thus be able to have a healthy diet without changing your usual menu.
We know that most pastry recipes include butter. But in all of them, you can substitute it with EVOO. In fact, we assure you that the flavor will still be extraordinary and your body will thank you for it. Why?
The first difference between the two is basic. Butter is of animal origin and EVOO is of vegetable origin. With this distinction alone, all those people who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, can cook their recipes substituting butter for EVOO and be able to follow their diet keeping that delicious dish in their menu.
But it is not only personal dietary decisions that are important to take into account in this matter. What if we compare the saturated fats contained in butter with those contained in EVOO? As we mentioned before, the fact that butter is of animal origin and extra virgin olive oil is of vegetable origin, marks the primary difference between them. Also this point. While butter can reach a concentration of more than 70% of saturated fats, EVOO is only 15%. We have already told you on several occasions how harmful saturated fats are for our health… so, these data are very important to take into account when planning your menu.
Regarding the calories provided by each of these two products, it is true that they are not very close in terms of numbers (both are between 700 and 900 calories per 100 grams). However, we have to specify that the calories that come from EVOO, taking into account the type of fats from which they come (unsaturated fats), the healthiness of the product is greater. And, in addition, we have to point out the fact that the amount of extra virgin olive oil for the same recipe will always be less than that of butter (about 80%). Therefore, the calories ingested will also be lower.
Are there any other differences to take into account? Yes! We’ll keep you posted.
Let’s go now to one of the main benefits of EVOO. And that is its great stability at high temperatures. This characteristic is what determines the chemical decomposition of the food and the loss of its properties. While extra virgin olive oil is recommended for cooking at high temperatures (it can withstand 210º without damage), butter can only withstand 110º… and if we take into account that most recipes that include frying exceed 180º, which of the two do you think will be less harmful to your health? Indeed, EVOO.
And, if all this is not enough for you, we do not want to close this topic without assessing another of the main differences between the two products. We are talking about lactose intolerance, which is becoming more and more common among the population. With extra virgin olive oil, of vegetable origin, you can forget about its symptoms or the worsening of this pathology.
Don’t think twice! Extra virgin olive oil is ideal for your health and for your palate… Tell us your best EVOO recipe and we’ll love to hear about it!
