Are Canned Olives Good for You? Are They Healthy?

Olives whether fresh or canned are one of the main ingredients in the Mediterranean kitchen and are gaining popularity among other cousins as well. Olives provide required nutrients and antioxidants, and they are also a good source of healthful fat.

Canned olives are a store cupboard staple for a reason – they’re convenient, budget-friendly and versatile – but are canned olives good for you as fresh produce? 

If you want to learn more about canned olives and whether canned olives are good for you, you are in a right place.

Nutritional Value of Canned Olives

For most produce, when we compare the canned olives against fresh, there isn’t a great deal of difference in the macronutrients – fat, protein, and carbohydrates. 

It is difficult to generalize the nutritional value of olives since it depends on the olive variety, size, ripeness level, processing method, brine, if it is pitted or with a pit. However, an average serving of canned olives is about 5 olives or 30 grams which has 35 – 70 calories. These calories are just enough to add a little bit of flavor to your diet without having to worry about your waistline.

The olive fat is primarily unsaturated and is considered healthy and can reduce harmful cholesterol in your body to improve heart health.

Because of the curing process, some phytonutrient content is removed from olives, however, research proves that fermented olives while brine-cured has positive probiotic actions as a result, which in turn supports good digestive health.

For more information on how to cure olives, read my recent article about 3 methods to cure Kalamata olives.

Also, an insignificant amount of vitamins and minerals may be lost in the olive tinning process. Nevertheless, canned olives are still a valuable dietary source of many vitamins and minerals.

Canned Olives are the Source of Iron

Canned olives provide nutritional value thanks to the iron properties. Women need at least 6 percent of iron in their diet, while men need at least 14 percent of iron in their diet. Each quarter-cup serving provides enough iron which is the required amount for both women and men in any diet.

Iron helps in transporting oxygen around your bloodstream. Apart from transporting oxygen, iron has other nutritional benefits. It helps to detect whether your body has low oxygen levels, and it fixes before you experience tissue damage. Iron is essential for immune function and supports energy production.

Disadvantage – Too Much Sodium

If canned olives are cured in a salt brine, one major negative aspect is that they may contain too much sodium (salt in other words).

Sodium is an electrolyte mineral that aids balance fluids in your body. While you need sodium in your balanced diet, too much sodium intake does give any benefits to your body and regular consumption may cause increased blood pressure.

One ounce (28 grams) of canned black olives (which is about 5 Kalamata olives) can provide up to 209 milligrams of sodium, which is 14 percent of the daily value adult needs according to the National Academy of Science report.

This is the reason why you need to take canned olives in moderation and don’t go extreme. So are canned olives good for you? Without a doubt, is you consume them in balance while adding to your food is no harm at all – it only provides required minerals to your body. Also, when buying canned olives, check their labels and avoid those with excess added salt.

Canned Olives Processing

The tinning olive process will vary slightly depending on the olive variety and ripeness but essentially the olives are washed and prepared, for example, branches or leaves are removed from olives, olives may be pitted or with a pit before being blanched.

Then, these fruits are placed into a sterilized can or tin and covered with brine usually made with salty water or special brine with seasoning added upon a taste.

Olive fruits are tinned close to where they are picked in order to help preserve their freshness and nutrients as much as possible. Or olives are kept in buckets for a couple of weeks to remove bitterness.

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Conclusion on Canned Olives Good for You

Now that you know canned olives are good for you and great addition to your dishes, you should try different brands to pick your favorite one!

When choosing canned olives, keep an eye on a label and check the ingredients. To make it easier, you can take 2 cans from a shelf and compare them, get one with less salt. Also, always good to purchase from respectful manufactures to ensure you get a quality product.

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Vangelis Kleft

Hi, I’m Vangelis Kleftogiannis, the founder of Oliviada and an established olive oil expert from Kalamata, Greece. My expertise isn’t just in producing quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but also in the cultivation and care of olive trees themselves. I am deeply committed to sharing my knowledge and know-how, helping others understand the intricacies of olive tree growing and the creation of quality olive oil.