Extra Virgin Olive Oil vs Other Cooking Oils
Compare extra virgin olive oil with canola, seed oils, coconut oil and butter on fat profile and stability, and see why EVOO is a sound everyday choice.
Extra virgin olive oil is a sound everyday choice because it combines a favourable fat profile with natural antioxidants that most other oils lack. It is high in monounsaturated fat, carries vitamin E and polyphenols, and holds up well in normal home cooking. Other oils are not villains, but few offer the same overall package. Here is how the main options compare.
This article is general information, not medical advice.
The fat profile that matters
Cooking oils differ mainly in the type of fat they carry. That is the first thing to look at.
Extra virgin olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat, chiefly oleic acid. Monounsaturated fat is the type dietary bodies generally view favourably when it replaces saturated fat. On top of that, extra virgin olive oil brings vitamin E and polyphenol antioxidants that come from the olive fruit and survive because the oil is not refined. Those compounds are covered in olive oil polyphenols.
Most other oils give you the fat but not the extras. That is a key part of why olive oil is treated as more than a plain cooking medium, as set out in olive oil health benefits.
Canola and seed oils
Canola oil is relatively low in saturated fat and contains some monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. As a plain cooking oil it is a reasonable, affordable option, and it is not something to avoid.
The difference is what it lacks. Canola and other seed oils such as sunflower, soybean and generic vegetable oil are refined. Refining strips out most of the flavour compounds and antioxidants that give extra virgin olive oil its character. You get a neutral oil that cooks fine but offers little beyond its fat.
Extra virgin olive oil gives you the fat plus the polyphenols and vitamin E, plus flavour you can actually taste. For most home cooks that makes it the better default, even if a neutral oil has its place for high-heat frying or baking where you do not want an olive note.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is often marketed as a health food, so it deserves a clear look.
Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, more so than butter. Dietary bodies including the Heart Foundation generally advise limiting saturated fat and favouring unsaturated fats such as those in olive oil. On that basis, coconut oil is not the everyday choice its reputation sometimes suggests.
It is fine in small amounts where its flavour suits a dish. Treated as a routine cooking fat in place of olive oil, it does not have the evidence behind it. This is a case where marketing has run ahead of the research.
Butter
Butter is a traditional fat with a flavour that is hard to replace in some baking and cooking. There is nothing wrong with using it where it belongs.
Like coconut oil, butter is high in saturated fat. The general guidance is to use it in moderation and to favour unsaturated fats for everyday cooking. In practice, many Mediterranean kitchens use extra virgin olive oil where an Australian or northern European kitchen would reach for butter. That swap is one of the simplest ways to shift the fat balance of your cooking, and it sits at the heart of the Mediterranean diet.
Stability and everyday cooking
A common worry is that olive oil is not suited to heat. In normal home cooking that concern is overstated.
Extra virgin olive oil is more stable than its reputation suggests. Its monounsaturated fat and natural antioxidants help it resist breakdown, and it performs well for sauteing, roasting and shallow frying at the temperatures a home cook actually uses. You do not need to switch to a refined oil for everyday pans. For practical guidance, see cooking with extra virgin olive oil.
Where extra virgin olive oil really pulls ahead is raw. Used to dress salads, finish soups or drizzle over vegetables, it delivers flavour and polyphenols that a neutral oil cannot. A robust variety such as Coratina olive oil shines in that role.
The balanced verdict
No single oil is essential and none is poison. The sensible reading is this.
- Extra virgin olive oil is a strong everyday default, cooked or raw.
- Canola and seed oils are fine, plain options with fewer extras.
- Coconut oil and butter are best kept to moderate use because they are high in saturated fat.
Olive oil is energy dense like all fats, so portion still counts. One tablespoon is roughly 120 Calories, about 500 kilojoules, as detailed in olive oil calories. Used sensibly and in place of less healthy fats, extra virgin olive oil is one of the soundest choices on the shelf.