This post is sponsored by Olives From Spain

You know what tiny little food doesn’t get enough credit? The olive. Oh, people are always singing the praises of the oil that is made from them. They can’t wait to drizzle it over their salad, dip their bread in it, or sauté their favorite vegetable in it, but the olive itself? Oh, it gets no love at all.

I’ll admit, I’ve been guilty of overlooking the little fruit (YES, THEY ARE FRUIT!!!), too. Last week, however, I learned a lot about the at the Spain’s Great Match event in San Francisco from the amazing folks at Olives From Spain, and I can’t believe how much I’ve been missing out.

Not only are so olives versatile that you can use them in so many different recipes, but they’re also healthy for you. They are naturally sugar free, and contain healthy, or monounsaturated fats that improve cholesterol levels in the blood. According to Jeffrey Shaw from the Trade Commission of Spain, most of the olives we eat here in the U.S. come from Spain. He encouraged me to read a jar the next time I went to the grocery store. I did, and he was right! Just about every single jar of olives was a product of Spain.

The thing that was holding me back from falling in love with olives was not really knowing what to do with them. I mean, you put some in a bowl on a tray with cheese and bread, and I’m going for the gluten and dairy. I learned, however, that they are great carriers of flavor. Since they are basically only in brine in the jars, you can add whatever you want to them to make them really come to life. At the Great Match event, I tried olives that were marinated in sherry wine vinegar and some that were covered in cheese. They were delicious, and I made so many stops at the Olives from Spain table that I was concerned the folks working the booth were going to think I was a stalker!

With the holidays coming up, do something a little different this year. Add Olives From Spain to your menu. Maybe you can chop some up and combine it with sherry wine vinegar, oil, manchego cheese, pine nuts, and herbs to top on a flatbread. Or perhaps you’ll just eat them straight out the jar like me. Regardless, know that you’re doing your body good by munching on yummy olives!

Learn more about the different varieties of olives and more at the Olives From Spain website.