Sun dried black olives have a denser nutrient content than regular olives cured in brine. This includes "good" nutrients, such as monounsaturated fat, and "bad" nutrients, such as sodium. The trace vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E and calcium, found in regular olives are more significant in dried or "raw" varieties. While some dieters bemoan the shortfall of vitamins and minerals in this favorite food, what's not in olives helps make them a healthy food: Sun dried black olives have no saturated fat and no cholesterol. They are also appropriate for no-protein diets.
Serving Size
Nutritional amounts are based on a serving size of sun dried black olives, set at 0.5 ounces, or about 15 grams, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The number of individual fruits in this portion depends on their size/weight, so check the olive nutrition facts on the package you plan to consume for exact details.
Calories
At only 15 calories per portion, sun dried black olives make a flavorful addition to the most controlled weight-loss diet. You may be tempted to eat more, but note the high fat and salt content if you are trying to limit those nutrients for medical reasons. Olive nutrition strengths, including the low calorie count, offset the relatively low content of essential vitamins and minerals. This healthy food does not contribute "empty" calories to your meal plan.
Fat
A ½-oz serving of sun dried black olives contains 1.5 g of fat, or 2 percent of the USDA allotted daily value (DV). The hallmark of olive nutrition is its monounsaturated fat component, which has a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol. It lowers LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, and raises HDL, the "good" element in cholesterol. This type of fat, along with the fruits' antioxidant properties, makes olives a healthy food choice that may decrease your risk for heart disease and some forms of cancer.
Salt
Now for the down side of sun dried black olive nutrition: among its vitamins and minerals lurks a high sodium content. Sun dried olives are usually cured in sea salt or kosher salt. One serving of olives has 230 mg, or 10 percent DV, of your recommended intake of salt. If you're already eating other foods that are low in sodium, no problem. If not, factor the percent of the daily value into your dietary equation for the day. The upside of the sodium level is flavor. Just a few sun dried black olives can make other "diet" foods tastier.
Carbs
The lack of carbohydrates places these fruits on the list of healthy foods for dieters who count carbs. Compared to an apple (21 g carbohydrates) or banana (27 g) sun dried black olives (0 g) make a good choice from the fruit food group.
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