Olive Pickle Benefits
Short answer: olive pickle’s main benefit is a lot of flavour for very few calories. It comes from olives, whose fat is mostly the heart-friendly monounsaturated kind, and it makes simple food like daal chawal or a plain paratha more satisfying with a spoonful. The thing to be sensible about is salt: a serving carries 360 mg of sodium.
What olive pickle offers
1. Flavour for almost no calories
A 31 g serving of our dry sliced olive pickle has about 5 calories, according to its label. A spoonful can carry a whole plate of plain food, which makes it a good friend to lighter meals.
2. The olive’s own fat
The fat in olives is mostly monounsaturated, the same kind that makes olive oil good for the heart when it replaces saturated fats. In a serving of pickle the amount is small, about 1 g, so this is a bonus rather than a reason to eat more.
3. Natural plant compounds
Olives contain antioxidants such as polyphenols and vitamin E. Curing and pickling reduce some of them, and a pickle serving is small, so treat this as part of a varied diet rather than a health remedy.
4. Appetite and enjoyment
The sharp, tangy taste of a pickle wakes up the appetite, and that’s much of why achar has a place on the Pakistani table. Enjoying food is a benefit in itself.
What to watch: salt
Our olive pickle is made with olives and traditional spices and preserved with vinegar and salt. One serving holds 360 mg of sodium, 16% of the daily value. A serving beside a meal is plenty. If you have high blood pressure or kidney problems, or you’ve been told to cut salt, count your pickle along with the rest of the salt you eat.
Because it is preserved with vinegar rather than left to ferment, this pickle is not a source of live probiotic bacteria, whatever some articles claim about achar in general.
Good ways to eat it
- A spoonful with daal chawal, khichdi or biryani
- Beside a plain or aloo paratha at breakfast
- Chopped into a sandwich, wrap or salad for a salty, tangy bite
- On a cheese board, next to olive jam
Frequently asked questions
Is olive pickle healthy?
In small amounts, yes. It is very low in calories and comes from olives, whose fat is mostly monounsaturated. Its drawback is salt, so keep it to a serving with a meal.
Can I eat olive pickle every day?
A serving a day is fine for most people. Count its 360 mg of sodium in your daily salt, especially if you’re watching your blood pressure.
Is olive pickle good for digestion?
Its sharp taste can help appetite. It isn’t fermented, though, so it doesn’t provide the probiotics that fermented foods do.
The full label is in olive pickle nutrition facts. If you’d like to make it at home, try our traditional olive pickle recipe.