The Nutritional Profile of Olives

Although olives are served as a fruit, nutritionally they belong to the fatty foods group. That distinction matters when talking about portions.

Roughly what is in them?

100 grams of brined Table Olive Varieties">table olives carries on average 115-145 calories. Almost all of that energy comes from fat; the carbohydrate content is very low. A single medium olive is about 4-5 calories — so a breakfast plate of ten sits around 40-50.

Fat: 10-15 grams per 100. Most of it is monounsaturated oleic acid, as in olive oil.

Fibre: about 3 grams per 100. That is a good figure for a fruit and contributes to satiety.

Vitamin E: Olives and olive oil are a notable source of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), which contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

Iron and copper: Present particularly in black olives. Absorption of plant-source iron improves when something containing vitamin C (tomato, pepper, lemon) is eaten alongside — the classic layout of a breakfast plate is no accident.

Polyphenols: Oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol. Oleuropein is why a raw olive is bitter; brining and fermentation reduce that bitterness.

The salt question

Olives are not eaten straight from the tree; they are cured in brine to remove bitterness. Sodium is the consequence. Brined olives can contain around 1000 mg of sodium per 100 grams, and the figure varies considerably by brand and method.

For anyone monitoring blood pressure or restricting salt, that is not a quantity to overlook. Practical remedies: soaking and rinsing the olives before eating, choosing reduced-salt products, and reading the sodium figure on the label.

Black or green?

The basic difference is ripeness: green olives are harvested early, black ones at full maturity. Nutritionally they are close; black tends to be slightly higher in fat, green slightly higher in polyphenols.

One caution: some inexpensive black olives are in fact green olives darkened with ferrous gluconate. Declaring that additive on the label is mandatory, so a glance at the ingredients list settles it.

How many a day?

There is no fixed number. Given the fat and salt content, five to ten a day is a commonly cited, reasonable range. Any lasting dietary decision calls for a doctor or dietitian; the information here is general nutrition information and not medical advice.