Flavored Olive Oil

(Bob) #1

I drink or swig olive oil from the bottle and love the certified, cold pressed, flavored olive oils I buy from the grower in California. Citrus, hot pepper, basil, etc. Nutrition label says zero carbs in a tablespoon. I called the grower today and asked for carb info of 100ml. He told me that the flavors are strictly from the fruit or veggie oil and contains no carbs. Olives have carbs but olive OIL doesn’t. Lemon or grapefruit have carbs but their oil does not. This makes sense to me. Does anyone have any input on this topic?

(Doug) #2

Hi Bob. Fellow direct-ingester here too. Olive oil is all fat, and I’ve never seen it listed as having carbohydrates or proteins, even for the infused/flavored ones. Normally, the serving size listed is just a tablespoon or so, and I wonder if any of the additions - whatever the essence of the flavorings is - have any carbs when considered in large quantities.

If the flavorings are entirely oil-based, then perhaps not.

The citrus taste, if coming from lemon zest, for example, is due to oils in the lemon rind. Capsaicin, often the basis for the hot pepper taste, is an alkylamide, which is normally oxidized in the body by certain proteins. I don’t know any complete answer here, but suspect the physical quantities of the flavorings are so low that it may not matter.

Even if there was one whole gram of carbohydrates in the whole bottle, I’d still drink it since it tastes good and olive oil has a decent claim to be the most healthful oil of all, with all the polyphenols in it.

(Bob) #3

I agree Doug. The grower has assured me that they only use oil for the flavors and they have been in business for 100 years so I trust them. Nothing better than a swig of olive oil especially when it’s flavored and certified. Not like that adulterated crap on the supermarket shelves.

(Doug) #4

:smile: Agree, Bob - heck, it can be like a fine wine, rewarding those who are patient with it, take time to savor all the subtle richness.

(Bob) #5

Doug, I get my olive oil shipped to me usually when it goes on sale once or twice a year. Right now I am enjoying a Mediterranean flavor. I think it has thyme, rosemary and garlic. It reminds me of the stuffing flavor at thanksgiving. Sunshine in a bottle.com. Their shipping charges are very reasonable.

(Bob) #6

Doug, u r correct about the olive oil being like a fine wine. Since I’ve been sipping from the bottle I notice that some oils are so much better than others. I had only used the olive oil on salads and never really noticed the distinct flavors and after taste. Now I know which oils to keep on buying. I’m finding myself cutting back on the MCT and increasing the olive oil. Have a good rest of the summer.
Bob
Ketotruck

(Sonia A.) #7

It’s amazing how this post reminds me of my grandfather. Since he was a little boy, he used to drink a little glass of olive oil first thing in the morning (my grandpa was a ketonian when the word didn’t exist :joy:). I didn’t understand when I was little, but now I’ve taken up his habit :grin:.

The olive oil from Tunisia (where my grandfather was native) is amazingly flavourful. It’s the best I’ve ever had.

So thank you for this reminder.