Olive Oil vs Vegetable Oil

Per tablespoon that is an estimated 1.6g of PUFA against 7.9g. The shares are the ones our estimates use (how we estimate).

Quick answers

Is olive oil a seed oil? No.

Is vegetable oil a seed oil? Yes.

Olive Oil

Pressed from olives (a fruit, not a seed), about 12% PUFA and mostly the stable monounsaturated fat that high-oleic seed oils try to imitate.

Named by some Italian and Mediterranean kitchens for finishing. See chains cooking in butter or olive oil.

Vegetable Oil

A label term, not a plant: in the US "vegetable oil" is usually soybean oil or a soybean blend, around 58% PUFA.

The generic label on fryers and ingredient lists everywhere. See the distributor oils page.

Restaurants that cook with olive oil

58 restaurant chains we track name olive oil in their cooking oil information.

See the full list

Restaurants that cook with vegetable oil

452 restaurant chains we track name soybean oil in their cooking oil information.

Restaurants that do not name their oil almost always fry in a soybean blend sold as vegetable oil.

See the full list

Which has less PUFA, olive oil or vegetable oil?

Olive Oil carries less polyunsaturated fat: an estimated 12% of its fat versus about 58% for vegetable oil, by the shares our estimates use.

How much PUFA is in a tablespoon of olive oil?

Roughly 1.6g of PUFA per tablespoon, since a tablespoon of oil carries about 14g of fat and olive oil runs about 12% PUFA.

Which is more stable for frying, olive oil or vegetable oil?

Olive Oil is more stable: about 12% of its fat is polyunsaturated, against about 58% for vegetable oil, and polyunsaturated fat is the part that breaks down fastest under heat.

Is olive oil or vegetable oil a seed oil?

Olive Oil is not a seed oil. Vegetable Oil is a seed oil.