The use of olive oil has become a global phenomenon, that's catching on in Thailand too. But while you may be interested in cooking with olive oil for its health benefits, invariably one of your concerns might be about its price. In comparison with other cooking oils and brands on the market, it can appear to be higher than other oils. But is there a reason behind the price and how do we assess how cost-effective oil is? So, before you make any decisions, let's get to know some information about olive oil to help you make an informed choice.
Investing in health with olive oil
The price of olive oil in the Thai market is approximately 350-450 Baht per bottle, depending on the bottle size. So let's carefully analyze that price. A standard 1 liter bottle should have about 68 servings, and each of those servings can make a meal for a family of four. So that means 272 meals in total. Then if you calculate how much it costs to make one meal for one person, the costs becomes only 1.6 baht on average. As a price comparison example, if you wanted a drink to go with your meal – it would cost approximately 15 - 20 baht.
Then we must examine the added health benefits that olive oil provides, in addition to its ability to be used in all types of Thai cooking. Olive oil has much higher unsaturated fat than many other type of oils, and it also helps reduce your LDL cholesterol or bad fats. It has also been linked by medical journals to help manage diabetes, and lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and breast cancer. So rather than just be an oil to cook with, its added value is being able to additionally assist your health journey. Olive oil is a much cheaper and easier way to help manage high blood cholesterol levels or coronary artery disease through diet, than the medications you may need if you get very sick with these ailments.
From a nutritionist's point of view, Olive oil isn't only good for health - it's actually profitable for your health. You can cook and enjoy delicious meals that you love, but investing in a beneficial oil can also help support your health at the same time.
The reality is if we do not eat carefully and healthfully, exercise regularly and take care of ourselves, the risk of developing NCDs like heart disease is increased. And when that happens, your life and livelihood is instantly limited.
On the other hand, if you proactively invest into your health, you can live your life, enjoy traveling, being with your family or doing what you love.
At the heart of everything, no matter how much money you have, if you are ill already there is no way to buy good health. So prevention and good diet practices can help you from suffering now and in the future.
Tips to find a healthy balance
The appropriate amount of fat that we should consume in each day is at 50-70 gram/day (based on the energy that a standard body needs 1,500 – 2,000 kcal per day). If you consume more fat than this average, it will increase your risk of high cholesterol and weight gain. Therefore, you can easily control your daily fat intake by doing below points.
• Remove the skin from chicken or cut off additional fat on meat cuts, and eat only lean meat. Eating animal skin or extra fat will increase your fat intake around 2-5 grams per one tablespoon of animal skin/fat consumption.
• Set your cooking oil usage at one tablespoon per meal, olive oil is recommended in order to add health benefits. For example, if you are making pork with garlic, use one tablespoon of oil. Then if the dish is a bit dry during cooking, simply add a little bit of stock, or water to give a bit more moisture but no added fat.
• Use cooking equipment made of Teflon. Teflon-coated pans help make cooking easier and healthier, as the non-stick surface makes sure that food doesn't stick to the pan. And then you can just use a tablespoon of olive oil to obtain the health qualities it offers, plus delicious taste.
From my professional perspective, looking at how much usage you can obtain from just one bottle, plus the plentiful health benefits, I don't think that olive oil is expensive. I believe using it is a long-term investment in your health, and for your loved ones too.
Today we all have busy lifestyles, but if you cook at home more with quality products, I promise you will get many benefits over time for your health and more peace-of-mind. And when we cook for ourselves and our families, shouldn't we always choose the best thing for ourselves and our beloved ones? Investing in health is always the best kind of investment.