How many net carbs are in 10 green olives?

Green olives are a tasty snack that can be a nice addition to a low-carb or keto diet. However, olives do contain some carbohydrates, so it’s important to pay attention to serving sizes when watching your net carb intake. In this article, we’ll take a look at the carb count in green olives and provide a detailed breakdown of how many net carbs are in 10 green olives.

What are Net Carbs?

When counting carbs on a low-carb or keto diet, you’ll want to pay attention to net carbs rather than total carbs. Net carbs account for the fiber and sugar alcohols that are included in the total carb count.

Fiber and sugar alcohols are indigestible or absorbed slowly, so they don’t impact blood sugar in the same way as digestible carbohydrates. By subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols from total carbs, you get the net carb count which is the number you want to focus on when tracking your carb intake.

Net Carbs Formula:

Net Carbs = Total Carbs – Fiber – Sugar Alcohols

So if a food has 15g total carbs, 5g fiber, and 0g sugar alcohols, the net carb count would be:

Net Carbs = 15g – 5g – 0g = 10g

Keeping net carbs low, usually around 20-50g per day, can help achieve and maintain ketosis on a keto diet. It helps ensure that your carb intake is low enough to promote fat burning and keep blood sugar stable.

Calories and Macros in Green Olives

Before determining the net carbs in green olives, let’s look at their basic nutritional profile per 100g serving:

Nutrient Amount
Calories 115
Fat 11g
Protein 1g
Carbohydrates 6g
Fiber 3.3g

As you can see, green olives are low in protein and get most of their calories from fat. Now let’s take a closer look at the carb content.

Total Carbs in Green Olives

According to the USDA, 100g of raw green olives contains about 6g of total carbohydrates.1 Of those 6g of carbs, approximately 3.3g comes from fiber. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that our bodies cannot digest, so we can subtract the fiber grams from the total carbs to get our net carb count.

Carb Makeup of Green Olives:

  • Total carbs: 6g
  • Fiber: 3.3g
  • Sugar: 0g

With no sugar and minimal digestible carbs, green olives can be a great low-carb food option.

Net Carbs in 10 Green Olives

Now let’s determine the net carb count in a typical serving of 10 green olives.

According to nutrition data, ten raw large green olives (about 30g) contains:2

  • Total carbs: 1.8g
  • Fiber: 1g

So to find the net carbs in 10 green olives we calculate:

Net Carbs = Total Carbs – Fiber
= 1.8g – 1g

= 0.8g net carbs

Therefore, there are approximately 0.8 net grams of carbohydrates in 10 large green olives.

This is a very low amount of net carbs per serving. For comparison:

  • 10 medium green olives has about 1g net carb
  • 10 small green olives has about 0.5g net carb

So the exact net carb count may vary slightly depending on olive size, but one serving of about 10 green olives generally provides under 1g of net carbs.

Daily Net Carb Recommendations

To put the carb content of green olives into context, here are some general daily net carb intake recommendations for low-carb and ketogenic diets:

Diet Recommended Daily Net Carb Intake
Standard Low-Carb 50-100g
Moderate Ketogenic 30-50g
Strict Ketogenic 20-30g

As you can see, green olives provide almost no net carbs and easily fit into even a strict keto diet. Even if you ate 5-10 servings of green olives in a day, it would still only represent about 5-10g of net carbs total.

Health Benefits of Green Olives

In addition to being low in carbs, green olives provide some great health benefits:

Heart Healthy Fats

While high in fat, green olives contain mostly monounsaturated fatty acids. These types of fats may help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and decrease risk of heart disease when replacing sources of saturated and trans fats.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Green olives contain oleic acid which has anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show olives may help reduce inflammation related to conditions like arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and cardiovascular disease.

Antioxidant Content

Olives are a good source of antioxidant compounds like oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative damage linked to chronic disease.

Improved Bone Health

The vitamin K content in green olives may help improve calcium absorption and bone mineralization. One study found that consuming olives was linked to improved markers of bone health.3

Tips for Adding Green Olives to a Low-Carb Diet

Here are some tips for incorporating green olives into a low-carb or keto diet:

Snacking

Olives are perfect for curbing cravings and keeping carb intake low. Enjoy them straight as a snack or pair them with other low-carb foods like cheese, nuts, or avocado.

Salads

Chopped green olives can add a punch of briny flavor to leafy green and vegetable salads.

Fat Bombs

Blend olives into keto fat bombs recipes along with ingredients like almond butter and coconut oil.

Appetizers

Spear olives with cured meats and low-carb cheeses for easy appetizers.

Pizza Topping

Add halved or sliced green olives as a low-carb topping for meatza or fathead pizza.

Tapenade

Make an olive tapenade dip or spread using green olives, garlic, olive oil, and spices. Enjoy with veggie sticks or cheese.

Potential Downsides of Green Olives

Green olives can fit into a balanced low-carb diet, but there are some potential downsides to be aware of:

High Sodium

Olives are naturally high in sodium, so portion size should be monitored by anyone on a sodium-restricted diet.

GI Symptoms

Large amounts of olives may trigger stomach discomfort, gas, bloating, and diarrhea in some people.

Allergies

While rare, tree nut and olive allergies do exist. Discontinue use if any hypersensitivity reactions occur.

Acidity

The acidic oils in olives may cause irritation for people with digestive conditions like ulcers, GERD, or IBS.

Conclusion

To summarize, about 10 large green olives provides under 1 gram of net carbs, making them a great low-carb and keto-friendly food. In addition to being low in carbs, green olives offer benefits like healthy fats, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory effects, and improved bone health. Moderating portion sizes and being mindful of potential downsides like high sodium can help you safely enjoy green olives as part of a low-carb or ketogenic diet.

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