Shopping Tip of the Week: Olive Oil

Sheryl from a "Place To Be" advised me to put more thought into buying olive oil. If you buy the right kind and care for it properly, it will add a lot of nutrition to your food. The brand she advised me to get is Bionature Olive Oil. I believe it is $17.00 a bottle.

I know....sooo expensive! Trust me, I have had many of conversations with my husband explaining why I have to spend more and more money on FOOD! In the documentary, Food INC., they explain that a 100 years ago, Americans spent a ton of money on food and very little money on health care. Now, it has fliped...more money on health care and less money on good quality food. Good quality food is typically expensive.

I catch a lot of flack from people about buying organic foods but I let it roll of my back. People can spend their money on expensive clothes, fancy cars, lavish vacations, but then claim organic food is too expensive. I told Kevin I'd rather cut out other things before sacrificing good quality food for our family. He is supportive but from time to time I can sense his frustrations about our grocery bill. However, he is happy that I now spend LESS on meat and eggs by buying local. Anyway, I am getting off my soap box. Here is the scoop on olive oil:

Buying Olive Oil:

It is best to purchase your olive oil in small quantities because olive oil will age and will continue to oxidize. If you make the decision to buy larger quantities then separate the olive oil into smaller containers and keep them tightly sealed.

Be sure to buy olive oil that is in a dark bottle. Clear bottles let light in, thus damaging the oil. Damaged oil lacks nutrients.

How to store olive oil:

Never store or buy olive oil in plastic bottles. The oil is very reactive and if in contact with plastic will take on the properties of the plastic container.

Always keep the container in dark places and in areas that are slightly cooler than room temperature.