Extra Virgin Olive Oil: How Many Calories Are in One Tablespoon?

Are they good for your health and diet?

“What are you doing with that spoonful of oil?” “I’m dressing the salad.” “No, you’ll gain weight that way!” It is very likely that this conversation has happened at your table too, especially as summer approaches and with it the much-feared swimsuit season, sparking debates about body shape and health in general because of the calories and fats that extra virgin olive oil is undoubtedly rich in. But are all calories the same? And what do we mean by fats?

First, let’s clarify the concept of calories. Calories are simply a unit of measurement used to quantify the energy our body takes in through a specific food product.

Of the calories our body consumes, normally just under half should come from carbohydrates, between 15 and 18 percent from proteins, while the remaining 30 percent should come from lipids, meaning fats. Consuming fats, therefore, should not immediately cause alarm: not only does it not ruin our healthy weight, but our body needs them, even more than twice as much as proteins.

Naturally, this does not mean we should stop paying attention to how these substances are consumed, or to the careful choice of foods that contain them. In Mediterranean cuisine, oil is certainly one of the basic elements and perhaps the most representative. Does it make sense to give up a spoonful of dressing in the name of staying in shape? Is it true that it is better not to use it in order to protect our health? The answer to both questions is no, especially when it is used in a mindful way, both in terms of quantity and quality: extra virgin olive oil does contain many calories, but they are considered “good” calories. But what do we mean by “good” calories?

A spoonful of extra virgin olive oil, weighing about 10 grams, provides on average between 90 and 119 calories, all from fats. However, the fats provided by foods vary depending on the nature of the food. Unlike calories from other seasoning fats, in the case of our spoonful there is no cholesterol, while saturated fatty acids, which may carry cardiovascular risks, are present in significantly lower amounts.

On the other hand, extra virgin olive oil is very rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, the fats most suitable for helping prevent cardiovascular diseases. This balance of fats makes olive oil one of the healthiest foods in the Mediterranean diet. In addition, oleic acid plays a key role in regulating cholesterol: it increases HDL cholesterol levels, the so-called “good cholesterol”, while reducing LDL cholesterol, the “bad” one. HDL cholesterol is made up of high-density lipoproteins that help remove excess fats from cells, helping to reduce cardiovascular risks such as heart attack or stroke and therefore greatly lowering mortality caused by these factors.

In short, it is a guarantee of genuineness that you can find, for example, in Favola Nocellara Etnea, produced from olives harvested just steps from the Syracuse sea, ideal for dressing meat, grilled fish, or cooked vegetables. The health benefits do not end here. Extra virgin olive oil also stands out from other types of oil because it contains polyphenols, which, thanks to their antioxidant function, are excellent allies in the fight against ageing, as well as helping protect cell membranes.

Having established that the intelligent and measured consumption of extra virgin olive oil is good for health, let us now focus on whether the fats and calories contained in one spoonful can represent a risk for the figure. Far from making you gain weight, many studies show that the use of extra virgin olive oil reduces sugar absorption, thus helping weight loss.

The use of extra virgin olive oil is fundamentally important for liver function, as it helps fight so-called sluggish intestines and bloating. Consuming it during meals is also essential because of the sense of satiety induced by monounsaturated fatty acids.

These fatty acids, combined with the foods that olive oil accompanies, are characterized by an anti-insulin effect, meaning they counteract a hormone capable of depositing fat in the abdominal area. Unlike other condiments, such as non-extra virgin olive oil, a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil is not only essential for health, but should also be present in diets for those who pay attention to body weight, as it helps the metabolism. In short: a good spoonful not only helps keep you in shape, but also supports weight loss.

The value of the fats and calories in extra virgin olive oil should also be considered in relation to the meal it accompanies. Dressing food with this type of oil is in fact recommended to make a meal healthier and more diet-friendly. Fruit and vegetables contain vitamins A, E, and K, which are fat-soluble and therefore need fats in order to be absorbed.

So, returning to the initial question, anyone who adds a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil to their salad is implicitly working for their own health and to stay in shape. As well as, of course, making it tastier! Speaking of which, we recommend dressing it with our Favola Tonda Iblea, with its retronasal sensation of Sicilian tomatoes from the mountains of Buccheri, at the beginning of ripening.