Is Olive Oil Keto Friendly?

Olive oil is one of the most popular cooking oils in the keto community. It's 100% fat, so it's an excellent way to meet your macro targets for the day. Olive oil is a good source of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid that helps reduce the risk of heart disease. It also contains oleocanthal, which has an anti-inflammatory effect similar to ibuprofen.

You may notice that there are several varieties of olive oil: extra virgin, virgin, and regular. Stick with extra-virgin olive oil, as it's the most pure form. Extra-virgin olive oil requires minimal processing, as manufacturers grind cold olives into a paste and then extract the oil. The process for regular olive oil differs, as makers are allowed to use heat or chemicals to help extract the oil, yielding a less pure result. Virgin olive oil falls between regular and extra-virgin. Its manufacture does not require heat or chemicals, but it's less pure than extra-virgin olive oil and contains fewer vitamins and minerals.

When using oil for cooking, it's important to know the oil's smoke point. This is the point at which the oil begins to break down, releasing unhealthy compounds and smoking up your kitchen. Extra-virgin olive oil's smoke point is relatively low. Scientists have measured it between 320 - 405° F, depending on the exact brand. For high-temperature cooking, prefer palm oil, another keto-friendly oil that's stable up to 450° F.