Black and green olives have been a part of our diets for a long time. But have you ever heard about kalamata olives? Kalamata olives appear large and dark brown in color and have a meaty and smooth texture. When they are ripe, they are dark purple in color. They are either preserved in vinegar or olive oil and are usually served as table olives. They are named after kalamata city, Greece. There they were found thousands of years back due to which they are also called greek black olives. Kalamata olives are usually sweet and fruity in taste. They have a much milder taste when compared to black olives. But they still hold the sharpness of taste that we generally associate with olives.
Nutrition
These olives are good in nutrition and are loaded with micro and macronutrients needed by our bodies. They are rich in iron, copper, vitamin a, vitamin e, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. 2 kalamata olives have approximately 2.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 grams of carbohydrates. They are a great source of monosaturated fats as well. They are rich in calories as 2 medium-sized kalamata olives have around 35 calories in them.
So, if you are working on controlling your calories intake, regular consumption of these olives might not be beneficial for you. But while consuming kalamata olives one must remember that they are rich in sodium like other olives. 2 olives have around 320mg of sodium in them. Excess sodium is not good for our health as it forces our hearts to work harder. It can lead to severe health issues like heart failure and kidney failure. So, intake of kalamata olives must be done in controlled proportions.
7 Surprising Health Benefits of Kalamata Olives
Strengthens Bones
Kalamata olives are rich in calcium. So they help in improving bone density and can also protect from other bones related issues. They also protect bones from easy breakage and fractures.
Good For Heart
There is a presence of hydroxytyrosol in these olives. It is good for the heart and it also reduces the risk of heart diseases. They also control your cholesterol and put the functioning of your heart on track.
Beneficial Against Alzheimer’s
Some of the components of kalamata olives help in building nerve cells. Due to this, they can reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. It’s also beneficial against other memory-related issues as well.
Good For Dental Health
The presence of calcium in our food is really necessary for our teeth and olives are rich in calcium. So they help in protecting our teeth from decay and maintains good dental health. They’re really good for children.
Enables Proper Functioning Of The Body
Being rich in iron, kalamata olives helps in the proper function of the body. Iron is required to carry out many small and big functions of the body like helps muscles to store and use oxygen.
Improves Skin Health
One of the components of kalamata olives is oleuropein. That helps in protecting the skin from harmful ultraviolet b rays of the sun. It also improves skin health in general.
Full Of Anti-oxidants
These greek black olives have polyphenols in abundance. It is a type of anti-oxidant. So it fights against radicals in body and also reduces the risk of some chronic disease.
Doctors and nutritionists term it as the healthiest type of olive and one of the healthiest foods on the planet in general.
It is usually recommended not to eat more than 3-4 ounces of kalamata olives in a day. Excess consumption can lead to severe side effects on the body. It can also waste your weight loss efforts because of their richness in calories.
Kalamata Olives In Diet
Kalamata olives are food of Mediterranean origin. So they are usually used in authentic dishes of that region like baked chicken and olives, Mediterranean olives toss, and so on. But now the question that arises is, how can you include kalamata olives in other dishes so that they can be included in your diet. Here are a few ways by which you can add these olives to your day-to-day dishes
- You can simply eat few olives as it is as a snack at any time of the day.
- Kalamata olives go perfectly with cheese. So you can add it to your cheese platter and enjoy its flavors and goodness.
- You can make a homemade red sauce and add a few olives to it as well.
- Top your pizza with kalamata olives as you top it with green and black olives.
- Chop a few greek black olives in your favorite salad and you are good to go.
- You can add the wholesomeness and flavor fullness of olives to any type of pasta of your choice.
- You can also make kalamata olive bread.
- Add a few ounces of olives to cheese crackers or other crackers in general.
- They are good when pickled because flavors get more time to enhance.
- Stuff your tacos with olives with the rest of the stuffing.
Consumption of kalamata olives during pregnancy has shown a proven track of benefits on pregnant women. It helps in controlling the cholesterol level in the body and also keeps the blood pressure of the body right.
These greek black olives go perfectly with alcohol as well in fact alcohol enhances the flavor of a lot of things and olives are one of them that is why black and green olives are sometimes stored in alcohol.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7737178/
https//greekcitytimes.com/2018/03/13/why-kalamata-olives-are-one-of-the-healthiest-foods-on-earth/
https //www.healthline.com/nutrition/kalamata-olives#uses
