Olive oil contains negligible protein — approximately 0 grams per tablespoon, or less than 1% of daily value. For a complete overview, see our Extra Virgin Olive Oil: What It Actually Means guide.For a complete overview, see our Olive Oil Health Benefits guide.It is almost pure fat, with traces of fat-soluble compounds but no meaningful protein content1.
This matters primarily for people building high-protein meal plans who include olive oil as a calorie source without accounting for the fact that it provides almost no protein. The macros in olive oil are essentially 100% fat.
Per 1 tablespoon (13.5ml, approximately 14 grams) of olive oil:
- Calories: 119 kcal
- Total fat: 13.5g
- Saturated fat: 1.9g (14% DV)
- Monounsaturated fat: 9.8g (the primary component — oleic acid)
- Polyunsaturated fat: 1.4g (linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid)
- Protein: ~0g
- Carbohydrates: 0g
- Vitamin E: 1.9mg (10% DV — the only vitamin present in meaningful amounts)
- Vitamin K: 0.1mcg (negligible)
Olive oil is among the most calorically dense food substances available — nearly pure fat with no protein and no carbohydrates.
Olive oil is the fruit juice of the olive, concentrated by pressing and separating the oil from the water and sediment. The olive fruit contains protein primarily in its flesh — but the oil is the hydrophobic (fat-soluble) fraction of that flesh, not the protein-containing fraction.
When olives are pressed, the protein remains in the aqueous phase (the wastewater, often called "sour water") along with most of the carbohydrates, fiber, and water-soluble vitamins. What comes out as oil is almost entirely the fatty acid fraction.
This is why all edible oils — olive, canola, sunflower, avocado — have negligible protein. Oilseeds and oil fruits are processed specifically to extract the fat-soluble fraction, leaving the protein behind.
For anyone tracking macros:
- Olive oil calories come entirely from fat — no protein, no carbs
- If you need protein, look elsewhere: meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, tofu
- Olive oil's role in a high-protein diet: provides concentrated calories for energy, makes food palatable, delivers fat-soluble vitamins and polyphenols — it is not a protein source
This means olive oil can be a problem in high-protein, moderate-fat meal plans if people accidentally include it as a "protein-containing" food in their tracking. It is essentially a pure fat delivery mechanism.
The only vitamins present in meaningful amounts in olive oil are fat-soluble:
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol): Approximately 10% of daily value per tablespoon. Olive oil is not a primary dietary source of vitamin E (sunflower oil and wheat germ oil are much higher), but the vitamin E in olive oil is present in sufficient quantity to contribute meaningfully to total intake.
Vitamin K: Negligible in olive oil. Leafy greens are the primary source.
The vitamin E in olive oil is somewhat protected by the polyphenols present — polyphenols are antioxidants that help prevent the oxidation of fat-soluble vitamins during storage.
If the macros in olive oil are 100% fat with no protein, the reason to consume it is the polyphenol content — oleocanthal, hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, and related compounds. These are the distinctive, valuable components that:
- Provide anti-inflammatory activity (oleocanthal inhibits COX enzymes)
- Protect LDL from oxidation
- Support cardiovascular health
- Contribute to the flavor and "throat-catching" sensation
A food with 0g protein and 13.5g fat per tablespoon would be nutritionally unremarkable if it were just another fat. What makes olive oil different from, say, lard or refined seed oils is the polyphenol content — and that content is entirely independent of the macro content.
Olive oil contains no meaningful protein — approximately 0g per tablespoon. The protein content of olives themselves is present in the fruit but the oil extraction process separates the protein (found in the water phase and solids) from the oil. Olive oil is essentially pure fat with trace micronutrients (vitamin E, vitamin K) and polyphenols, but no macronutrient protein. If protein intake is a concern, protein should come from legumes, fish, meat, eggs, or dairy — not olive oil.1
The olives used to produce olive oil contain protein with amino acids, but the protein is separated during the oil extraction process. The resulting olive oil is fat with no protein. Some processed olive oil products (like olive oil emulsions or infusions with added ingredients) may contain small amounts of protein from additives, but plain olive oil does not.1
Olive oil's nutritional content includes: monounsaturated fat (oleic acid, 55–83%), vitamin E (~1.9mg per tablespoon, 13% DV), vitamin K (~0.1μg), and polyphenols (hydroxytyrosol, oleocanthal, oleuropein, tyrosol) that provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. The vitamin E in olive oil is the naturally occurring alpha-tocopherol form with documented antioxidant function. The polyphenol content is the primary nutritional distinction between EVOO and refined olive oil.1
References
- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html