Substituting olive oil for butter in recipes and general cooking is a delicious way to to get healthy and help lower your cholesterol. It seems like a simple change, but switching from saturated fats to monounsaturated fat to prepare your food can produce big benefits. Researchers have shown that the phytochemicals in olive oil can fight cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Long before it was "in", I began substituting olive oil in most of my recipes. Ten years or so of only using organic olive oil maybe be partly responsible for my very low cholesterol.

For general cooking application you can use a multipurpose fine virgin olive oil in almost any recipe. If possible, always choose a certified organic olive oil. Olive oil not only works as a subssitute for butter in cooking recipes you can also use it in high-heat applications such as stir-fry, saute or pan frying.

Here's a simple conversion chart to use when substituting olive oil for butter in cooking:

Butter or Margarine           Olive Oil

1 teaspoon                         3/4 teaspoon
1 tablespoon                      2 1/4 teaspoons
2 tablespoons                   1 1/2 tablespoons
1/4 cup                                3 tablespoons
1/3 cup                                1/4 cup
1/2 cup                                1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
2/3 cup                                1/2 cup
3/4 cup                                1/2 + 1 tablespoons
1 cup                                   3/4 cup

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