Why are olives officially our favorite fruit? Because they’re savory. They’re zingy. They make our dinners delicious. And because no matter what kind of foods you prefer to eat, they’ll fit into your healthy diet.
We know that when you’re starting a new diet, it can be hard to know for certain if a specific food is allowed. So, we’ve taken 5 popular diets and broken down the basics on why olives — or in some cases, particular kinds of Lindsay olives — fit into those diets.
No matter what diet you’re following, olives are a great source of nutrition. Here are some of our favorite olive nutrition facts:
- Olives are technically a fruit — not a vegetable — and can help you reach your optimal servings of fruit and veggies per day!
- Olives are filled with natural antioxidants which help reduce inflammation in the body, preserve bone mass, promote a healthy heart and decrease the risk of certain kinds of cancer.
- Olives contain mostly monounsaturated fat — aka “good fats.” This type of fat is associated with increased longevity, reduced risk of chronic disease, decreased risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, and improved brain function.
- Olives are a plant-powered source of 25 different phytonutrients that provide benefits to our respiratory, nervous, immune and digestive systems.
Olives for a Keto Diet
Keto overview & restrictions:
The keto diet focuses on fat as the primary source of calories. It requires that 75% of your daily calories come from fat, 20% from protein, and only 5% from carbs. This means to stay in ketosis (a state where your body is burning fat instead of carbs), you would aim to eat around 20-50 grams of net carbs a day (net carbs = carbs - dietary fiber).
Why olives fit into a keto diet:
Most fruits and many vegetables (such as potatoes or corn) are restricted on a keto diet due to their high sugar or carbohydrate content. Olives on the other hand get 80% of their total calories from fat, and have very few carbs. A serving of our medium black ripe olives contains just 1 gram of carbs and <1g of dietary fiber, making it a great low carbohydrate food — and delicious snack — for anyone on a keto diet.
Learn more about how olives fit into a Keto diet
How to: Keto-friendly snacking
Olives for a Paleo Diet
Paleo overview & restrictions:
The paleo diet is a return to how humans ate as cavemen (and women!) more than 10,000 years ago. On a paleo diet, the focus is on eating meats, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits with low sugar content, nuts (not peanuts!) and natural oils. That means grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugar, starchy veggies, fruits with high sugar content and processed foods are off limits.
Why Lindsay Naturals & Organics olives fit into a paleo diet:
When you search the internet for “are olives paleo” you probably get a wide range of responses. A common reason why olives are sometimes not considered to be paleo-friendly is that they are cured — a very ancient form of “processing”. This often happens with the use of ferrous gluconate which speeds up fermentation and acts as a color stabilizer. But not all olives have ferrous gluconate added which means many olives are still a good fit for a paleo diet.
Lindsay Naturals and Organic canned olives do not have ferrous gluconate. They contain no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives and are canned in only sea salt, water, and nothing else. While olives are technically processed (olives off the tree are not edible), they are not what you would normally think of as a “processed food”. They are a “real” food and great low-carb fruit for a paleo diet.
Olives for a Whole30 Diet
Whole 30 overview & restrictions:
The Whole30 diet is considered an elimination diet and is essentially a stricter version of a Paleo diet. The Whole30 diet removes all foods which could be inflammatory to your body in order to heal the digestive system, and helps you understand how specific foods impact your health and well-being. Because this diet is an elimination diet, to be done properly, it needs to be followed strictly for 30 days.
Why Lindsay olives fit into a Whole 30 diet:
Canned olives are mentioned throughout the official Whole30 site as being a great natural fat to eat while on Whole30. Additionally, the Whole30 program states, "Do not consume carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.”
Lucky for you, none of Lindsay’s olive products contain carrageenan, MSG or sulfites making them absolutely safe for a Whole30 diet.
Olives for a Mediterranean Diet
Mediterranean diet overview & restrictions:
The Mediterranean diet encourages you to eat similarly to the traditional cooking style of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. This means eating primarily fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, fish and poultry. It emphasizes limiting red meat to just a few times per month and replacing butter with olive oil. The Mediterranean diet is not meant to be excessively restrictive and doesn’t eliminate foods like pasta, bread or wine — it merely asks that you maintain a healthy balance.
Why olives fit into a Mediterranean diet:
First off, Mediterranean countries are among the biggest consumers of olives in the world! The Mediterranean diet focuses on eating healthy fats, and olives are a key component of that. Olives provide mostly monounsaturated fat (the good fat), which is associated with increased longevity, decreased risk of heart disease, reduced risk of chronic disease, lower blood pressure, and improved brain function. They’re also a delicious way to get your fruits & veggies in for the day!
Olives for an Organic Diet
Organic diet overview & restrictions:
An organic diet is one which aims to eat only food that has been farmed without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, genetic engineering, antibiotics and growth hormone — among other considerations. The USDA has an organic certification program which requires all organic foods to meet strict standards, so look for the USDA organic seal of approval in stores.
Why Lindsay organic olives fit into an organic diet:
This one’s simple: Lindsay Organic olives are certified USDA Organic. Not to mention incredibly delicious!
__
Do you follow a gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian or plant-based diet? Remember — olives fit in perfectly with any of these popular diets too.