I don’t know anyone who is neutral about olives. It seems everyone has a decided opinion about them. They either rock hard or completely disgust you. My stance is that they are awesome, and Tim thinks they are too gross to even look at. I think it is a texture issue for most people, although for some, they are just too brine-y (not really a word, but just go with it).

Whether you personally enjoy olives or not, I bet you haven’t ever considered offering them as a snack option to a small child. They don’t seem to make the traditional lists that include things like bananas, apple slices, graham crackers and raisins. Olives just don’t fit into that crowd, maybe because they seem more like a garnish to a cocktail? But they really should be included, so today I’m making a case for the olive.

Watch what happens when I present Darah with some olives, alongside other snacks she loves to eat:

You saw it happen, people. Olives beat chocolate, and she didn’t even consider her yogurt melts (also known as “crack” around here) before eating every last olive. They are delicious to her! And it’s all in the presentation. I introduced olives to her by putting them on my fingers. It was pretty much love at first sight! Also, they are chock full of the good fats that we need for healthy nutrition and that little ones especially need in their diets!

Lindsay Olives is a brand we enjoy around here, and today I especially want to highlight the super functional packaging that they have come out with for their black olives. Check out Re-closeables! These are absolutely PERFECT, because they provide a very easy way for you to open your can of olives, get a few (or a handful…just sayin’) and then put them away in the fridge until your next craving strikes. It removes the extra step of having to find a separate container for them, and the lid stays nice and tight, so you don’t have to deal with spills. Very smart!

Additionally, Lindsay Olives has a Naturals line that I’m very interested in. These products are preservative and color-free. I really love this. No unnecessary chemicals are going into my body (or Darah’s). We don’t need those preservatives…we eat our olives fast!

Buy it!: Lindsay Olives can be found nationwide. If you don’t remember seeing them in your store, click here to learn where you can buy them!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the latest Re-Closeables and Naturals products from Lindsay Olives! The contest will run until June 12th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me an unconventional snack that your kids like!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Lindsay Olives on Facebook (they have a giveaway happening right now for fans!)
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via RSS or email.

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.