Avocado and extra virgin olive oil are the two headline monounsaturated-fat foods of the Mediterranean diet, though they play very different roles in the kitchen.
| Nutrient | Avocado | Extra Virgin Olive Oil |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 160 kcal | 884 kcal |
| Protein | 2 g ✓ | 0 g |
| Total Carbohydrate | 8.53 g | 0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6.7 g ✓ | 0 g |
| Total Sugars | 0.66 g | 0 g ✓ |
| Total Fat | 14.66 g | 100 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2.126 g ✓ | 15.4 g |
| Sodium | 7 mg | 2 mg ✓ |
Notable compounds in each
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
When to choose each
These aren’t really competing for the same job in the kitchen, but they’re worth comparing on their shared reputation as flagship monounsaturated-fat foods. Avocado is a whole food, lower in calories per 100g, with real fibre and protein that pure oil simply can’t offer. Extra virgin olive oil is far more calorie-dense, since it’s essentially 100% fat with no water content diluting it, which matters if you’re using it as a cooking fat rather than eating it by the spoonful. Both are similarly low in saturated fat relative to their total fat content, around 14-15% either way, which is the real signature of a heart-healthy fat source.
Common questions
Is avocado or olive oil healthier? They’re not really interchangeable — avocado is a whole food you eat for its own sake, with fibre and micronutrients built in, while olive oil is a cooking and dressing fat used in small amounts. Both are well-regarded monounsaturated-fat sources central to the Mediterranean diet; neither replaces the other.
Why is olive oil so much higher in calories than avocado? Because it’s pure fat — 100g of olive oil is literally 100g of fat, with none of the water, fibre or protein that dilutes avocado’s calorie density as a whole food. Weight for weight, any oil will always be far more calorie-dense than the whole food it came from.
Nutrition values are USDA FoodData Central approximations — see our editorial approach for how we source and verify data.