Olives are one of the healthiest if not one of the best foods to give you vitamin E. It is a staple in many diets, but since olives are so common in Mediterranean countries, it is perfect for the Mediterranean diet.
Are Olives On The Mediterranean Diet?
The thing about olives is that not everyone enjoys eating them. However, olives are part f the Mediterranean diet. Being such a versatile food option, it is used in various forms, and this does not only mean olive oil. You can eat olives raw or mix them with other foods to give you something more nutritious.
If you follow any dieter on social media, you will have seen how they talk about olives and the antioxidants they can hold for your body. This article aims to educate you on the benefits of olives and how you can get the best value from consuming them. We will explore different ways to add it to your Mediterranean diet.
Are Olives On The Mediterranean Diet?
As mentioned, olives are one of the staple foods on the Mediterranean diet. It is packed full of vitamin E, and the antioxidants are more than many similar types of foods. When using olives for your meals, you are adding nutrients to every meal. There are very few things that we could find that are not better when adding olives.
Olives can be a healthy treat, and with some healthy omega oils, they could provide plenty of health benefits and even reduce bad cholesterol. However, too much of a good thing can turn out to be a bad thing, and when you add olives to the Mediterranean diet, you should do so while keeping an eye on your calories and macros. We would recommend eating olives on the Mediterranean diet.
5 Ways To Make Olives Mediterranean Diet-Friendly
Now that you have seen that olives are healthy and useful to your diet, we need to explore how we can add them to the Mediterranean diet. While these methods will make your food better and even more nutritious, you should not overdo it. Here’s how to add olives to the Mediterranean diet effectively.
Raw Olives
One of the first ways to eat olives on the Mediterranean diet is to eat them raw. Raw olives are perfect for the nutritional value and antioxidants they have, which can help to speed up your metabolism and provide some healthy oils for your body. These omega oils are sure to help you reduce cholesterol and lubricate your joints.
When buying raw olives, you can make a meal of just consuming the olives. It will be the perfect snack during the day, which often helps to keep you full and reduce the overall calories you need to consume. However, it would be best always to be cautious not to overeat as too much of a good thing will always be bad.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the most popular byproducts of olives. It is the most popular oil used by some of the top chefs globally and burns at the perfect temperature to allow you to cook healthy meals. Olive oil can add great flavor to your meals, and it gives you a better base to cook your favorite meals without too much fat.
It is not only used for cooking, and you can even add olive oil to your salads. Olive oil can be consumed in raw form, and it will add great benefits and nutritious value to each meal. However, we would recommend that you consider looking for extra virgin olive oil. It is the purest form of olive oil on the market today.
Olives With Salads
Salads are a great go-to food when you are unsure about what to eat. While it does not contain too much protein, it will ensure that you hit all your micronutrients and improve the quality of your calorie intake. Salads are very low in calories, which means you can eat much more than with meats.
Adding olives to your salad is a great way to take the meal to the next level. Olives have plenty of nutritional benefits that we have discussed. These benefits can be added to your salad. As we have also mentioned, you can add olive oil to your salads for the same desired effects.
Olives With Pizza
If you consider eating pizza and choose the healthy option of having a cauliflower base, you will add olives to the pizza to make it even better. In certain corners of the internet, adding fruit to pizza is frowned upon. However, olives stand out as a delicacy, and they tend to make your meals taste better.
To ensure that you add enough valuable nutrients to your pizza, you can drizzle over a couple of olives. The olives won’t make an unhealthy pizza healthy. However, it will improve the value of the meal and ensure that you add some antioxidants. Additionally, it also enhances the overall taste of the meal.
Using It As Basting
If you are cooking a steak, you can baste your steak by using olives. By simply combining olives with other food ingredients, you should have the ability to make the perfect basting sauce for your meals. Additionally, you can also use it as some form of a marinade. Leaving your steak in some olive oil will ensure that it cooks much better and more evenly.
Olives On The Mediterranean Diet Summary
Olives can be versatile, and they are perfect for most diets. Having olives on your diet means you can focus on other nutrients that olives do not provide. You can add as many olives as you want to some of your meals. Let us know in the comment section if there are any other ways to integrate olives into the Mediterranean diet.
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