Health Nuts: Eating Nuts May Be Healthful

Get Your Nut Nutrition

Nuts contain mostly “good,” unsaturated fat—the type that is believed to help improve heart health. Most Americans consume too much “bad,” saturated fat, which is found mostly in meats and high-fat dairy products. Research has shown that reducing saturated fat and increasing unsaturated fat can lower “bad” LDL ]]>cholesterol]]> levels. One study published in the Lancet indicated that a diet including unsaturated fats from almonds and walnuts (in addition to whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) may lower cholesterol levels to a greater degree than the traditional, cholesterol-lowering National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) step I diet.

There are two types of unsaturated fat: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Nuts contain both types of unsaturated fat and only small amounts of saturated fat, in varying amounts depending on the type of nut. Some research suggests that one type of polyunsaturated fat, called omega-3 fatty acids, may play a role in the prevention of chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, and arthritis. Most Americans need to increase their intakes of these healthful fatty acids. Walnuts and almonds contain omega-3 fatty acids.

Source: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 13

*Someone following a 2,000 calorie diet should average a maximum of 67 grams of fat per day.

¤ Someone following a 2,000 calorie diet should average a maximum of 22 grams of saturated fat per day.

× Someone following a 2,000 calorie diet should average a maximum of 45 grams of unsaturated fat per day.

In addition to fat, nuts contain many other important nutrients.

Learn About Other Nutrients in a One-Ounce Serving of Nuts

Source: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 13

¤ Someone following a 2,000 calorie diet should consume approximately 60 to 75 grams of protein per day.

× Someone following a 2,000 calorie diet should consume 25 grams of fiber per day. A high fiber food has at least three grams of fiber per serving.

* Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Make Room for Nuts

Of course, while nuts have many benefits, you still need to make room for them in your diet by cutting down on calories from other foods or drinks. Check out these 10 foods and drinks you could skip today to make way for an ounce (a small handful) of nuts.

Each serving listed is approximately 180 calories, the amount in one ounce of nuts.

• 9 restaurant-style tortilla chips
• 1-½ chewy chocolate-chip granola bars
• 14 ounces of soda or beer
• 1 package of 6 cheese and crackers (found in vending machines)
• 1/3 cup ice cream
• 10 ounces of Fresh Samantha fruit juice smoothie (a little more than half the bottle)
• 18 Baked Lays (potato chips)
• ¾ of a package of plain M&M’s
• Six ounces of a 10-ounce café mocha
• 1-¼ Nutri-Grain (cereal bar) strawberry

Get the Nuts and Bolts

Nuts are easy. They don’t require cooking or preparing. They are portable and even found in vending machines. And they go well with everything from gourmet meals to beer.

• Add nuts to your morning meal.
• Make an easy batch of homemade granola bars with oats, cheerios, peanut butter, and dried fruit. Grab and go.
• Make your own trail mix with your favorite nuts, dried fruits (apricots, cranberries, raisins), and a higher fiber cereal (shredded wheat, Kashi Heart to Heart cereal, Cheerios, etc).
• Mix some nuts into your pasta dishes. Try adding walnuts to your pasta tossed with olive oil, fresh basil, and tomatoes. Also try using peanut butter as a sauce, tossed with penne pasta, roasted butternut squash, eggplant, and shallots.
• Add nuts to side dishes. Try brown rice, raisins, and hazelnuts. Or add pine nuts to your couscous with feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. Add almonds to your green beans, or hazelnuts to your sautéed spinach.
• Mix finely chopped nuts with an equal amount of seasoned breadcrumbs to coat your fish or chicken with flavor before baking, broiling, or grilling.
• Stir nuts into your stir-fry dishes. Cashews and peanuts also work well. Try adding some peanut butter to create a thicker stir-fry sauce.
• Add nuts to your favorite chicken salad recipe. Spice up your chicken salad with curry powder, grapes, and almonds. Or try chicken salad with apples and walnuts.
• Try whipping up an almond smoothie. Put a handful of nuts in a blender with some milk, ice, vanilla or almond extract, and a sweetener of your choice (maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, etc). Blend well. Make it thick, freeze it, and eat it like ice cream.