In a few words:
Extra virgin olive oil can be introduced from around six months and works well as an everyday fat for children as they grow. It helps with nutrient absorption and supports normal development, with studies linking regular use in childhood diets to healthy weight patterns and heart and metabolic health. The simplest approach is to use it regularly in cooking and finishing meals, so it becomes a natural part of what they eat rather than something separate to think about.
Most parents spend more time reading food labels than they’d like to admit…
Somewhere between the fortified cereals and omega-3 gummies, it’s easy to miss that one of the most researched foods for your little one's health is also one of the oldest.
Extra virgin olive oil has been part of family diets across the Mediterranean for generations, yet it often sits lower down the list of “healthy fats” - if it appears at all! That’s surprising, given how well studied it is in children’s nutrition, and how simple it is to introduce from weaning onwards.
That’s what we’ll look at today, in our guide covering what the research actually shows about olive oil for kids, when to start, how much to use, and the easiest ways to build it into everyday meals.
Is olive oil good for kids?
Yes - extra virgin olive oil for kids is one of the most well-researched everyday fats you can use, with a growing body of evidence showing clear benefits for children and young people.
EVOO is naturally rich in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that supports healthy cell function and helps the body absorb vitamins A, D, E and K - vitamins that support normal growth, immunity and bone health. These vitamins only work properly when there’s enough dietary fat to carry them.
Research into olive oil for kids has produced consistently positive findings - particularly when it's part of their everyday diet. A review in the Journal of Pediatric and Neonatal Individualised Medicine found it to be a core fat in traditional Mediterranean diets, linked with healthier growth patterns and heart health in children. In everyday terms, a drizzle of EVOO over vegetables or stirred into a toddler’s purée simply helps the body absorb the nutrients you’re already trying to provide.
There’s also emerging research suggesting the benefits go beyond basic nutrition. One large study of around 180,000 school‑age children, published in the Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, found that kids who used olive oil as their main added fat were less likely to be obese and had better heart and lung fitness than those using other fats.
Alongside this, experimental work has explored olive oil and brain development in children - specifically how the healthy fats it contains support the balance needed for normal development and recovery. A trial in Malawian children recovering from severe malnutrition has explored how these fats support the balance needed for normal brain development and recovery.
And we haven’t even got into polyphenols yet - the plant compounds behind EVOO’s peppery taste, which we cover in more depth here.
Brand new research involving children and teenagers with obesity found that a high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil, used as part of a Mediterranean-style diet, improved how their bodies handled blood sugar and how efficiently their cells produced energy compared with regular olive oil. We've explored similar findings in adults in our article on olive oil and diabetes - the blood sugar olive oil connection runs deeper than most people expect.
While the studies themselves are quite technical, the takeaway for parents is simple: olive oil as an everyday family fat can gently support healthy development as children grow.
When can babies have olive oil?
From around six months, when weaning typically begins.
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6-12 months: Olive oil for babies weaning starts from around six months - add a small drizzle over purées or stir it into porridge from the very first meals. It adds energy from healthy fats and helps the body absorb those fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K - which become especially important once breast milk is no longer the only source of nutrition.
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1-3 years: At this stage, it can simply become your everyday cooking fat. Stir it into food, use it for light cooking, or offer it with bread. There’s no need to overthink amounts - regular use matters more than precision.
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4 years and up: Dressings, dipping, drizzling, roasting - use it the same way you would in any adult meal. This is also a good stage for small routines to form, like making a simple dressing together or finishing meals with a drizzle.
Good EVOO has a peppery, slightly bitter finish. That's those all-important polyphenols - but it can sometimes be a bit much for little palates if they're not used to it. Introducing it alongside other familiar flavours usually helps.
It’s also worth us saying that olive oil isn’t a common allergen - it's been introduced to little ones as a first food across Mediterranean diets for generations without issue.
How much olive oil for toddlers and kids?
As a rough guide:
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Babies (6-12 months): around ½ tsp per meal
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Toddlers (1-3 years): 1 tsp to 1 tbsp daily
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Children (4+): 1-2 tbsp daily
These aren’t strict targets - more a sense check. If olive oil is your go-to for cooking, finishing dishes, or dressing food, you'll hit these amounts naturally without needing to measure anything.
What the research points to - and it’s something we tell all our customers - is that consistency matters more than precision. It’s the small, daily use over time that counts more than the occasional big glug over your lunch.
This is also where the quality of the oil starts to matter. A properly made, early-harvest EVOO with a published polyphenol figure gives you more of the compounds the research is actually pointing to.
If you want to see what that looks like, take a look at our guide to choosing the best high polyphenol olive oil in the UK.
Olive oil vs butter for kids
This isn’t a case for cutting butter out completely - it’s more about what you use day to day.
Olive oil and butter aren’t the same: olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, while butter is higher in saturated fats. In Mediterranean-style diets, olive oil is the main fat from early childhood - and is consistently linked with better long-term metabolic and heart health outcomes.
EVOO also carries polyphenols - something butter simply doesn't have.
Ultimately, what matters most is what children grow up eating, not how these fats are labelled. Making olive oil your go-to in the kitchen is an easy way to increase healthy fats for children without changing much else.
Simple ways to give kids olive oil every day
No need for recipes or overthinking - this is more about small habits that fit into everyday meals:
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Stir into baby purées or porridge - add it at the end rather than cooking it in from the start, which preserves more of the polyphenols.
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Warm it into mash or roast veg at the table - instead of adding it during cooking, let kids see it drizzled on at the end and mixed in themselves. It becomes part of the meal ritual rather than hidden in it.
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Olive oil + soldiers - pour a small amount into a shallow bowl with a pinch of salt and let your munchkin tear and dip toast soldiers or flatbread into it. Very simple, very hands-on.
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Finish soups in the bowl, not the pot - a small swirl of olive oil on top of soup at the table makes it feel richer and teaches them it’s something added fresh, not cooked away.
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Use it as a small “starter job” when you’re cooking together - let your παιδάκι (little child) drizzle some EVOO into the pan or over veg before it goes in the oven. It gives them a bit of ownership without changing what ends up on the plate.
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Olive oil over fruit (yes, really - for adults + curious kids) - A tiny pour over oranges or strawberries with a pinch of salt. Common in Mediterranean eating, surprisingly tasty, and a nice way to show that olive oil isn’t just for savoury food.
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Blend into hummus or dips - an easy way to make it a regular part of meals without it being the obvious centrepiece.
The goal is habit over effort. Olive oil for kids doesn’t need to be a big thing - it just needs to be your everyday choice.
If you're looking for a starting point, both MasWorth Family Groves (965 mg/kg) and November Polyphenols (1200+ mg/kg) are independently lab-tested, early-harvest EVOOs from Crete - the kind of oil that actually reflects what the research is based on. If you're using it daily, our subscription options make it simple to keep a steady supply without having to think about it.
Want to know more about what makes November different? We've broken it down here.
Olive Oil for Kids FAQs
Can babies have olive oil?
Olive oil for weaning babies can start from around six months. A drizzle of around ½ tsp over purées or stirred into porridge is the right place to start - no need to introduce it separately, just add it to whatever they're eating.
What age can babies eat olive oil?
From weaning age, typically around six months. It's not a common allergen and has been used as one of the first fats introduced in Mediterranean diets for generations. Start small and build it into everyday meals rather than treating it as something separate.
Is extra virgin olive oil better than regular olive oil for kids?
Yes. EVOO is cold-pressed and minimally processed, which keeps its polyphenols intact. Refined and light olive oils lose most of these compounds during processing, even if the fat content looks similar on the label. For the benefits that matter most in a child's diet, quality within EVOO makes a real difference - and a published polyphenol figure is the most reliable way to compare.
Is olive oil good for digestion?
Yes, olive oil is good for digestion as it’s oleic acid content helps stimulate bile production, supporting healthy gut function from early childhood.
Scientific & Nutritional Information
The information on this website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and summarises published scientific research and general nutritional information relating to olive oil and olive polyphenols. It is not intended as medical, nutritional or dietary advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for advice from your doctor, registered dietitian or other qualified healthcare professional.
Scientific studies reflect the findings of their respective authors and should not be interpreted as evidence that the same results will occur for every individual or from the consumption of any particular product.
Any health claims made in relation to our products are limited to those expressly authorised under applicable UK and EU nutrition and health claims legislation.
