Taste Life Blog

From the 5 Ingredients for Healthy Living Cookbook

You can easily make the dressing ahead of time. We used lime juice but a squeeze of fresh lime would be awesome layered on top of the feta!

2 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 nectarines, pit removed and cut into thin wedges
8 ounces mixed greens
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add nectarine wedges and toss to coat. Add salad greens and cheese and toss gently to combine. Adjust seasonings to your taste and serve immediately. Makes six servings.

Nutrition: 184 calories; 4 gm protein; 11 gm fat, 17.3 gm carbohydrate, 219 mg sodium

Salads are the perfect vehicle for EVVO. Read on to learn about why olive oil is the “go to” oil in my kitchen.

Five Things to Know about Olive Oil

Buy olive oil in small amounts as studies show that it’s nutrients significantly decline in a year. Store away from heat and sunlight to optimize your Look for
Olive oil is my “go to oil” in my kitchen is olive oil because:

1. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) (oil obtained from the first pressing) has huge amounts of antioxidants which lower anti-inflammatory markers compared to later pressings (non-EVOO) making it perfect for your salad recipes where the oil does not need to be heated. Plain “virgin” oil is cheaper, has less health benefits and less flavor.

2. One tablespoon of EVOO provides 45% of recommended amount of mono-unsatuated fats and 4% of omega-3 fatty acids. It is a 75% monounsaturated fat compared to canola oil (60%), soybean oil (50 – 55%), corn oil (60%), sunflower oil (20%), safflower oil (15%). Studies have shown monos can help decrease your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol and LDL:HDL ratio.

3. Is totally recognized as a “cancer risk reduction food” by over 25 studies, especially when the diets of routine olive oil users were compared with the diets of individuals who seldom used olive oil and instead consumed diets high in saturated added fat, especially butter.

4. Olive oil is part of the Mediterranean diet which has shown to decrease the risk of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer and asthma.

5. A little goes a long way. One tablespoon (126 calories) is enough to sauté an entire pan of veggies and adds a burst of healthy flavor to anything you cook.