Posted by MYO Protein Warrior
on April 11, 2026
If you've ever checked out a protein bar label and scanned the ingredient list, you have probably seen canola oil, sunflower oil, coconut or soybean oil somewhere near the top. Most people scroll right past it. We think it is worth a discussion!
At MYO, we made a deliberate choice to use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) as our primary fat source. It is one of the things that makes our bars genuinely different. Here's why...
What Are Seed Oils?
Seed oils are fats extracted from the seeds of plants like soybeans, rapeseeds (canola), sunflower seeds, corn, and cottonseed. They are inexpensive to produce, have a neutral flavor profile, and are shelf-stable, which makes them a natural fit for packaged food manufacturers optimizing for cost and convenience.
You will find them in almost every mainstream protein bar, granola bar, and nutrition product on the market. They are listed under many names: canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, palm kernel oil. The common thread is that they are highly processed, typically extracted using industrial solvents at high heat, then refined, bleached, and deodorized.
That process strips away much of the natural character of the original seed. What you get is a fat that is cheap, bland, and functionally very different from minimally processed fats like EVOO.
Why EVOO?
Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is made by cold-pressing whole olives, so no solvents, no high-heat refinement. The result is an oil that retains its natural polyphenols, antioxidants, and flavor compounds.
Polyphenols are plant-based micronutrients. EVOO is one of the richest dietary sources of them, particularly oleocanthal and oleuropein, compounds that are the subject of ongoing nutritional research and are associated with the Mediterranean dietary pattern, one of the most studied eating patterns in the world.
From a nutritional standpoint, EVOO is composed primarily of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that makes up roughly 70-80% of its fatty acid profile. It also has a much more balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids compared to seed oils.
Now let's talk flavor! High-quality EVOO contributes a richness and depth that seed oils simply cannot. It is one reason our bars taste like real food, and not like packaged food
The Formulation Decision
When we developed the original MYO formula, EVOO was not an afterthought. We designed around it as one of our key ingredients. We were building a bar that could hold together without binders, emulsifiers, or a list of stabilizers... and EVOO's natural fat profile helped us get there.
It also meant we could keep the ingredient list short and legible. When people read the back of a MYO bar, they recognize what they see. That matters to us.
Sourcing EVOO for a manufactured food product is more complicated and more expensive than sourcing canola oil. We knew that going in. We made the call anyway, because we were not trying to build the cheapest bar, we were trying to build the right one for our family, for our health.
Try this in the grocery store!
Next time you pick up a protein bar, look at the fat source. Ask what kind of oil it is and how it was processed. The answer tells you a lot about how the company thinks about ingredients.
We put EVOO in every MYO bar. We're proud of it. If you want to taste the difference, try a MYO bar today — shop the full range here.
