Olivko Kids 250ml: what it actually is

Olivko Kids is organic extra virgin olive oil in a 250ml bottle, certified by Ecocert and USDA Organic, with free acidity below 0.2%. The question people most often ask about it is the right one: what makes it different from the regular bottle?

The honest answer

It is organic extra virgin olive oil selected for children's food, in a bottle size that matches that use. It is not a medical formula, not a supplement, and nothing is added to it.

We would rather say that plainly than let a product name make a claim we cannot support.

We make no health or nutrition claims for children. For a baby's first foods or any health condition, speak to your doctor or a dietitian.

Why a separate bottle is still useful

There are two practical reasons, and neither has anything to do with what is in the oil.

1. 1.A 250ml bottle empties faster, so the oil going into a child's food always comes from a recently opened bottle. Freshness is the part you can control
2. 2.A separate bottle means the children's oil does not get used up on the weekend sauté, leaving you with an empty bottle on Monday morning

How to use it

• A teaspoon stirred into porridge or vegetable purée
• Added to rice or soup after cooking, not during
• Used raw — do not overheat it
• Start with half a teaspoon if the child is not used to the taste

Easy dishes to start with

1. 1.Rice porridge with half a teaspoon stirred in before serving
2. 2.Mashed potato with olive oil instead of butter
3. 3.Scrambled eggs cooked slowly in olive oil
4. 4.Vegetable soup with a teaspoon poured in once the heat is off
5. 5.Hot white rice with a little oil and a pinch of salt
6. 6.Roast vegetables — carrot, potato, pumpkin — tossed in oil before they go in the oven

Creamy, starchy dishes like mashed potato and porridge are the easiest starting point, because their texture coats the peppery note and makes it less noticeable.

How long one bottle lasts

Used a teaspoon at a time, a 250ml bottle normally lasts six to eight weeks for one child. That is a good window — long enough to be worth it, short enough that the oil stays fresh to the last pour.

If a child does not like the taste

That is normal. Fresh olive oil leaves a peppery catch at the back of the throat, and children often need time to get used to it. Mix it into warm or creamy food — egg, mashed potato, porridge — which coats the flavour, and build the quantity up gradually over a few weeks.