Spring Is Here And The Health Benefits Of The Best Olive Oil Await You
National Nutrition Month With Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Summary
- March is National Nutrition Month® and extra virgin olive oil is an excellent addition to your nutritional needs.
- This Year’s theme – Beyond the Table – looks at the farm-to-fork aspect of nutrition, a subject dear to our hearts at Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- The quality of production is one of the most crucial aspects of what makes the best extra virgin olive oil with the highest content of health-boosting polyphenols.
Contents
- Celebrate National Nutrition Month Beyond The Table With Morocco Gold.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil’s Nutritional Profile
- Choosing the Right Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Incorporating EVOO into Your Diet
- The Nutritional Value Of Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Harvesting Of Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Celebrate National Nutrition Month Beyond The Table With Morocco Gold.
March marks National Nutrition Month® , and what better way to celebrate it than by incorporating one of the healthiest fats into your diet – extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Whether you are a seasoned nutritionist or a health enthusiast looking to make smarter food choices, extra virgin olive oil offers a wealth of benefits that align perfectly with a mindful eating approach.
The theme of this year’s National Nutrition Month® which is explained by organisers as addressing ‘the farm-to-fork aspect of nutrition, from food production and distribution to navigating grocery stores and farmers markets — and even home food safety and storage practices. It also describes the various ways we eat — not only around a dinner table, but also on the go, in schools and restaurants, at games and events. This theme also includes sustainability, for instance, decreasing food waste from school and work to home and beyond.’
Extra virgin olive oil is a central component of the Mediterranean diet, which has been linked to numerous health benefits, including heart health, weight management, and even longevity. In this blog post, we’ll explore the extraordinary nutritional profile of extra virgin olive oil, handy tips for selecting the right product, and creative ways to use EVOO in your daily diet.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil’s Nutritional Profile
Extra virgin olive oil brims with monounsaturated fats, particularly oleic acid, which is known for its heart-healthy properties. It’s also rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that protect the body from oxidative stress and inflammation. By getting rid of harmful free radicals, these antioxidants play a crucial role in preventing chronic diseases.
Vitamin E and Vitamin K are notably present in EVOO, both of which are fat-soluble vitamins crucial for blood clotting, bone health, and maintaining healthy skin and eyes.
Choosing the Right Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Not all olive oils are created equal. Here’s what you should be looking for to get the best quality:
- Look for Certifications: Quality extra virgin olive oils often have certifications such as PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) or organic certification.
- Harvest Date: Freshness matters in olive oil. Look for the harvest date on the label – the more recent, the better.
- Dark Bottles: Light and heat can degrade olive oil, so those stored in dark bottles or tins are a smarter choice.
- Taste: If possible, taste the oil. Good quality EVOO should be fresh and may exhibit flavours like fruity, bitter, and spicy – all indicators of the presence of polyphenols.
Incorporating EVOO into Your Diet
Here are some delicious and health-conscious ways to add extra virgin olive oil to your meals:
- Salad Dressings: Mix EVOO with vinegar or lemon juice, herbs, and spices to create a simple, yet flavourful, salad dressing.
- Cooking: While it’s ideal for cold dishes, EVOO can also be used for cooking at lower temperatures. Sauté vegetables or make a stir-fry.
- Dips: Use EVOO as the base for dips, such as hummus or tapenades.
- Drizzling: Amp up the flavour of cooked dishes like soups, stews, and pastas by drizzling them with a bit of EVOO before serving.
- Baking: Replace other fats with EVOO in your baking for a healthier option.
The Nutritional Value Of Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The nutritional value of our extra virgin olive oil does not happen by accident. Quite the opposite!
The specific soil conditions of Morocco’s Beni Mellal region, together with the mild winters and summers, caressed by hot winds from the Sahara, make ideal growing conditions for Morocco Gold olives. The existence of centenary trees and traditional presses (maasras) testify to the longevity of olive cultivation in this area.
Ground work and tillage is carried out once or twice a year: once in winter to facilitate rainwater infiltration into the soil, and in spring to rotate the soil.
Planting is done at the beginning of spring. There is some permitted intercropping of cereals, also almond trees, that contribute to the hint of almonds in Morocco Gold.
In addition to natural rainfall, which is generally sufficient in the geographical area, trees are irrigated as needed during the period of vegetation of the olive tree, normally until the end of September.
Fruiting sizing and assessment of the maturity of the olive is carried out annually. The planned date of harvest is agreed based on the maturity index of the olives, also the generations of experience of the olive farmers. Harvesting will then normally take place between the end of October and beginning of December.
Harvesting Of Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Morocco Gold olives are harvested by hand using flexible combs. Nets and tarpaulins are placed on the ground to avoid contact between the olives and the ground. . Our olives are picked when the fruit is young and green. As the olives age on the tree, the colour of the olive changes to red and then black. The olive increases in size producing more oil, but the polyphenol level decreases. Within the farming community there is long experience. Furthermore, to maximise the polyphenol levels we harvest our olives at the optimum time.
Aerated boxes are used for the immediate transport of the harvested olives from the orchard to the crushing unit. On receipt, the olives are checked to ensure their quality, in particular color and appearance, any defective or malformed olives.
The olives will then pass through a stripper to removes any impurities. They are then washed and drained before processing. Leaf stripping and washing eliminate impurities, whether of vegetable origin such as leaves, twigs or mineral matter such as dust, earth, stones and other solids. Washing not only improves the quality of the product but also extraction efficiency.
Extraction of oil is carried out in a two-phase continuous process. This minimizes handling of the olives and maintains strict control of hygiene.
Grinding of the olives is carried out using a metal hammer mill which is made of stainless steel. The paste obtained then undergoes a kneading or malaxation process which is the fundamental operation to separate the solid and liquid phases. This kneading operation is carried out for 40 to 50 minutes at temperatures not exceeding 28 ° C. In this way, the extracted oil may be labelled: cold-extracted oil or cold pressed oil.
The well-kneaded dough is sent to a horizontal decanter where the continuous and simultaneous separation of the oil and wet cakes is achieved by a combination of centrifugal force and of the rotation of a conveyor screw which rotates inside the bowl.
The time between harvest and pulping does not exceed 48 hours. Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil is unfiltered to retain all of it’s natural properties and goodness. Nothing is added or taken away so that it is the result of the soil, the sun and the rain only.
Conclusion
Indulging in extra virgin olive oil during National Nutrition Month and beyond is a toast to your health. Its unmatched flavour and health benefits make it a versatile staple in any health-conscious kitchen. Challenge yourself to make EVOO a key player in your nutrition this month. Your body will thank you for the wealth of benefits, from its heart-supporting fats to its antioxidant power.
Celebrate National Nutrition Month by enriching your diet and savouring the taste of pure, high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Your culinary adventures will not only be delicious but laden with good health.
Stay informed, stay healthy, and here’s to making every dish a nutritious delight with a splash of EVOO!
