Olive Oil Substitute: can grass-fed organic ghee be used as an olive oil substitute? Or, what should I use as an olive oil substitute?

Olive Oil Substitute is much needed these days because olive oil is not suitable for all cuisines, especially where you need a creamy texture and taste-enhancing aroma in cooked dishes.  

Olive oil substitute: Can olive oil be replaced with another cooking fat?

Cooking oil is a primary kitchen staple. It requires preparing any recipes from world cuisines, irrespective of food habits. Oils are a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA – healthy fats), and fat-soluble vitamins.

Unsaturated fats reduce the risk of high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. Fat-soluble vitamins are essential for healthy skin and immunity.

Thus, according to USDA dietary guidelines, cooking oils are essential to a healthy diet. If we have to determine an olive oil substitute healthy, the replacement oil should have all these advantages.

Healthy cooking oils are mostly a source of saturated fats. A high amount of saturated fat in the diet increases the total serum cholesterol level, precisely the blood’s Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (bad cholesterol).

LDL cholesterol leads to fatty deposition within arteries, creating plaques. The arteries become narrow due to plaques and reduce blood flow to the heart.

This is the primary reason for Coronary Heart Disease. We should check if ghee clarified butter, the olive oil substitute healthy cooking fat, adheres to these advantages.

Cow Ghee has been an ancient dairy product and a kitchen staple in the Indian subcontinent, Middle East, and Africa for ages. It is a form of clarified butter with a nuttier and caramelized aroma.

Ghee, especially grass-fed Organic Ghee, has gained much attention and acceptance worldwide due to its excellent aroma, taste, nutritional benefits, and therapeutic properties.

On moderate consumption with a regular diet, the healthy fats and fat-soluble vitamins of ghee provide many benefits to the body. Moreover, it has a high smoke point (482°F), hence suitable for high-heat cooking, frying, etc.

These reasons make health-conscious consumers use Ghee as a nutritious and flavorsome replacement for cooking oils like coconut, olive, and dairy oils like regular butter or butter.

Now let’s check how ghee fits in as an olive oil substitute. But before we start comparing, let’s check the reasons behind the popularity of olive oil in cooking.

What makes Olive Oil so popular? Why is ghee a healthier olive oil substitute?

• Olive oil is predominantly used in Mediterranean cuisine. It is highly nutritious and is preferred by the heal freaks as a safe oil for reducing cardiovascular disease risk.
• It is rich in monounsaturated fats or MUFA (about 73%). The major MUFA in olive oil is Oleic Acid (about 70%). It contains about 11% Polyunsaturated fatty acids and only 14% saturated fat.
• It is rich in Vitamin E and vitamin K. Pure olive oil has a higher smoke point (465 degrees F), hence suitable for high-heat cooking, baking, and frying.
• Extra virgin olive oil (325-375 degrees F) has a relatively low smoking point and is used for seasoning and drizzling. All these factors together make olive oil a popular choice among health-conscious people.

 Health benefits of olive oil:

• Olive oil is high in MUFA, which may increase good cholesterol (HDL) and also can reduce bad cholesterol (LDL)
• It is rich in vitamin E and vitamin K. Vitamin E improves immunity, while Vitamin K is essential for efficient blood clotting.
• Virgin and extra virgin olive oils are rich in phytonutrients.
• Some studies have suggested that olive oil consumption reduces the risk of osteoporosis and improves gut microbiota balance.

  An Olive Oil substitute: why is it in demand?

Before finding the option, let’s discuss what an Olive oil substitute is.  Alternative to olive oil means we must cherry-pick a cooking fat as nutritious as olive oil and safe cooking. Although olive oil has several nutritional and health benefits, it may appear slightly flawed when the taste & flavor, and smoke points are concerned. The glitches are:

• Olive oil contains flavonoid polyphenols and antioxidants with several beneficial effects. But the compound contributes a tinge of bitterness to the oil. Often users have experienced a bitter aftertaste with olive oil use.
• It has a spiciness and pungency, which is not that palatable.
• It has a distinct flavor of olive or sometimes raw nuts or hay, which is not globally appreciated.
• Extra virgin olive oil is healthier than regular olive oil. However, it has a low smoke point, thus unsuitable for high-heat cooking. Heating extra virgin olive oil may destroy its nutritional compounds and may produce carcinogenic compounds.
• Olive oil is not shelf-friendly: the oil may turn rancid after 12 months.

Therefore, an “olive oil substitute” should have similar nutritional and added benefits to cover the drawbacks of olive oil.

What is Ghee Clarified Butter? why is ghee an olive oil substitute?

Cow Ghee (organic or grass-fed) is prepared by boiling grass-fed butter until the butter’s moisture evaporates and the milk solids remove, leaving the pure butterfat layer on the top.

A further cooking process results in the caramelization of ghee residues. This process gives the characteristics of nutty flavor and caramelized golden color of ghee. It is then filtered to remove all residues.

Ghee nutrition has all the nutritional benefits of milk fat. It has a long shelf life of up to 12-18 months from its manufacturing date without the support of refrigeration in your pantry.

The Ghee contains not less than 99.6% fat. It contains healthy fat, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), CLA, loads of butyric acid or butyrate, and beta-carotene essential for the human body.

Ghee is free of lactose and casein. Therefore, it is safe for lactose intolerants.

People following the Keto or Paleo diet can include ghee, as Ghee is Keto and paleo-friendly 7 olive oil substitute.

It has a high smoke point (482°F), thus suitable for high-heat cooking, baking, roasting, and frying. It is a flavor enhancer in cooking or seasoning various recipes from world cuisines.  Grass-fed and Organic ghee is highly nutritious and gained popularity among health-conscious people worldwide.

Ghee benefits: a healthy olive oil substitute

The nutritional advantage of grass-fed ghee is wholesome. Moreover, olive oil can use in high heat in cooking, baking, seasoning, or direct consumption. Moderate consumption of ghee offers several benefits:

• It helps in digestion, reduces the problem of constipation, and improves immunity and internal inflammation.
• Grass-fed organic Ghee contains loads of butyric acid or butyrate improves the digestive system and constipation. Moderate ghee in the diet reduces the irritation of chronic constipation.
• Fatty acids like Omega 3 and 6 and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) in ghee are essential for immunity enhancement and anti-inflammatory support in the human body.
• Helpful for maintaining skin & hair health and eyesight: Grass-fed or organic Ghee is rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, which are essential for immunity, healthy skin and hair, improved eyesight, and calcium metabolism in the human body.
• Ghee, an olive oil substitute, helps in detoxing.
• The ghee diet is a natural body cleanser and keeps the digestive system clean.
• Ghee, an olive oil substitute, helps in weight loss management.
• With 64% saturated fat, ghee in the diet works as a filler food. It can be taken with morning tea or coffee for natural energy, keeping the hunger pang away longer than usual.
• Ghee offers a higher smoke point and is a food flavor and taste enhancer.
• The smoke point of 482°F makes it extremely suitable for high-heat cooking, baking, frying, sautéing, and roasting.
• Ghee, an olive oil substitute, is a taste enhancer in cooking or seasoning. It has no bitter or pungent aftertaste like olive oil.
• Ghee can also be consumed as a spread on morning toast or added to coffee or other beverages.
• Consumption of Ghee in moderation improves the ratio of high-density lipoprotein, or “good” cholesterol, to low-density lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol.
• Ayurveda well acclaims it as a natural medicine to improve physical and mental health.

Ghee vs. Olive oil: Why is ghee a healthier olive oil substitute? 

Olive oil is rich in unsaturated fat. It contains about 84% unsaturated fat (mostly MUFA) and only 14% saturated fat. Grass-fed cow milk butter-made ghee contains about 62% saturated fat and 23-38% unsaturated fat.

So Olive oil and Ghee have different fat compositions, but ghee is a healthy alternative to olive oil due to its more healthy saturated fats.

Moderate consumption of ghee is undoubtedly beneficial and may consider an olive oil substitute because of the following nutritional benefits:

Though ghee is rich in saturated fat, about 89% comprises medium and short-chain fatty acids with 3% linoleic acid.

Medium and short-chain fatty acids are easy to digest and do not cause fat deposition in the body.

The MCFA and the SCFA in ghee act as a fuel for energy in the body and significantly reduces total cholesterol levels by 10–25% in the serum and by 7–14% in the intestinal mucosal cells.

Several studies show that using the best quality ghee in a balanced diet can reduce unhealthy cholesterol levels.

• Ghee, an olive oil substitute, contains high monounsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 3 supports a healthy heart and cardiovascular system.
• The short- and medium-chain fatty acids can rapidly oxidize, thus less conducive to fat deposition and natural fat loss.
• Ghee contains 25% MCTs. MCTs rapidly help digestion and get absorbed in the body, providing energy.
• Like olive oil, ghee is also gut-friendly, helps digestion, and reduces constipation irritation. Ghee is rich in butyrate or butyric acid (primary short-chain fatty acid in ghee), essential for digestive health, eliminating toxins from the body, and improving the problems of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and is considered anti-inflammatory.
• Just like olive oil, ghee is also loaded with healthy fats. Ghee is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (polyunsaturated fat), and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
• Omega 3 reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It benefits the heart, brain, eye, and other tissue functions and has anti-inflammatory properties.
• Ghee is rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), essential for immunity enhancement, increasing the body’s lean mass, and anti-inflammatory properties in the human body. It keeps cholesterol levels in check. The excellent health effect of CLA also includes an antiatherogenic effect, altered nutrient partitioning, improved lipid metabolism, anti-diabetic impact (type II diabetes), immunity enhancement, improved bone mineralization, and natural fat loss.
• MUFA content in Ghee clarified butter is around 28.7%. MUFA is considered healthy as it helps in biochemical processes associated with nerves, the brain, the heart, digestion, and cell maintenance.
• Like Olive Oil, Ghee clarified butter is rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, essential for immunity, healthy skin and hair, improved eyesight, and calcium metabolism in the human body.
• Ghee-clarified butter is rich in beta-carotene, the antioxidant, which gets converted into vitamin A in the human body. Vitamin A is essential for retina function.
• Ghee-clarified butter helps balance high blood sugar if the ghee diet is coupled with exercise and an active lifestyle.

Ghee vs Olive oil: Why is ghee an olive oil substitute?

• Ghee offers long shelf life at ambient condition (shelf-stable)
•  Ghee in the diet helps in skin and hair care.
•  Due to its fat content, ghee is suitable for the Ketogenic diet (Keto diet/ no carbs diet) and Paleo diet. 
• Ideal for seasoning food or even for direct consumption due to its unique flavor and taste
• Unlike olive oil, Ghee gives an extra advantage in high-heat cooking and enhances the taste of food:
• Ghee has a higher smoke point, about 482°F. Thus, ghee suits high-temperature cooking, frying, baking, and roasting. Due to high smoke points, ghee produces much fewer toxic compounds than olive oil while cooking on high heat.
• Moreover,  desi ghee has a unique taste and aroma. It enhances the taste of a cooked dish when added as a seasoning or used as a taste enhancer.  Ghee facilitates its users with versatility. It can cook all types of foods from multiple cuisines, whereas olive oil is predominantly used for Mediterranean cuisines.
• Ghee butter is recommended with bulletproof coffee, a high-calorie fatty coffee, as a replacement for an energy-packed breakfast. The saturated fat in ghee provides sustaining energy and works as a filer food, thus restricting calorie intake.

Therefore, although the fat composition in brown butter is different from olive oil, healthy fats and fat-soluble vitamins make ghee, the unique dairy staple, healthy.

It is suitable for regular use and for making delicious meals. Olive oil is good for low-temperature cooking, while ghee gives the freedom for high-temperature cooking like baking, slow cooking, etc. So, ghee can indeed be used as an olive oil substitute.

According to Ayurveda, moderate inclusion of Organic grass-fed cow ghee in the everyday diet helps in the natural improvement of memory power and immunity, boosting the energy level,  impacting rejuvenating effect to the body, supporting natural weight loss programs, and help in improving hair and skin health, etc.

Olive oil substitute healthy: How to replace Olive oil with ghee in cooking:

• You can use ghee as an Olive oil substitute while baking a cake.
• You can use ghee for bulletproof coffee.
• During deep-frying, ghee( cultured and non-cultured ghee) offers a higher smoking point than olive oil. Hence, it is a healthy replacement for cooking oil/fat.
• Extra Virgin olive oil is always considered healthier than regular olive oil. But the smoke point of extra virgin oil is 325-375 ° F. In contrast, organic or grass-fed ghee offers 485 ° F.

 Summing up:

Olive oil is a healthy choice due to its high MUFA content but has some disadvantages.

• Extra virgin olive oil is healthier than regular olive oil. But it has a low smoke point and is unsuitable for high-heat cooking.
• It has a slightly bitter and pungent aftertaste.
• It has a distinct flavor of olive or sometimes raw nuts or hay.

These are the premium reasons people often look for olive oil substitute.

Ghee, the dairy delicacy, is an excellent choice for cooking needs. It is a tastier and equally nutritious option. It is a superfood considering its beneficial effects and therapeutic usages.

• Ghee contains butyrate. Butyrate is known for its healthy support to the digestive system and for releasing constipation.
• It contains omega 3, which is known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Just like olive oil, Ghee is rich in fat-soluble vitamins.
• It is suitable for individuals with lactose intolerant/allergies to casein.
• Unlike olive oil, it is ideal for high-temperature cooking.
• It has a nutty taste and a pleasant aroma. 

About Milkio Ghee: a healthy coconut and olive oil substitute

Try Milkio grass-fed ghee, manufactured by Milkio Foods, New Zealand using the finest ingredients, and traditional ghee making process. Milkio grass-fed ghee is all-purpose and does not contain lactose, casein, and gluten.

Milkio grass-fed ghee products are verified as non-GMO. The ghee offers an intense nutty feel-good aroma, rich, creamy texture, and versatility, making it a superfood for the kitchen.

Milkio Ghee is gluten, lactose, casein, carb, sugar-free product safe for consuming lactose intolerants and casein sensitives. It is keto and paleo diet-friendly. 

Milkio ghee offers a high smoke point. It is shelf-stable dairy oil you can store in the kitchen at room temperature for up to 18 months from the manufacturing date. To buy Milkio ghee, please check the Milkio website for product specifications, and/or sales assistance.

If You Wish to partner with us to Import/Buy/Distribute/Trade Our Milkio Ghee products, or for developing Private label ghee products, or contract ghee manufacturing support, Please Feel Free To Contact Us Via Our Email, We Will Be In Touch With You Within the next 48 Hrs.