Pic-A-Nut

Nuts & Your Health

Still think that all fats are bad? That a no fat diet is best for weight loss and weight control. The truth is that all fats are not created equal. In fact, research shows that by consuming a certain type of fat, you can increase your immunity and maintain your weight.

People who eat nuts are healthier. A study published in the July 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (JADA) shows that eating a handful of walnuts every day can help patients with type 2 diabetes achieve recommended intakes for polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as omega-3s), critical to protecting the heart. Other large-scale studies, including the Physician's Health Study, the Iowa Women's Heath Study and the Harvard Nurses Health Study, also found that eating nuts lowered heart disease  risk. Other studies have shown that nuts help lower bad LDL cholesterol.

The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommends eating less saturated fat from fatty meats and whole milk dairy, and suggest that people consume the majority of their daily fat calories from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, namely from plant sources including nuts and seeds.

Don't be afraid to eat nuts as part of your healthy diet. Although high in fat, unlike butter or margarine, nuts contain the type of fats that promote heart health and immunity, including omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fat. They also contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Nut butters can be healthy, and I recommend buying a brand made without hydrogenated fat or added sugars.

While nuts are considered to be a health food, that's not a license to overindulge. When you add nuts to your diet, you add calories along with the health benefits. So it's important to decrease calories from other sources to avoid weight gain. 

A one-ounce serving of nuts contains between 160 and 200 calories, most of which come from the heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Nuts are also very high in dietary fiber, and are one of the best plant sources of protein.

"Nuts are very high in dietary fiber, and are one of the best plant sources of protein"

Here are some ways to add healthy "nut" fat to your diet:

• Top hot or cold cereal with nuts for a nourishing breakfast.
• Sprinkle almonds on top of yogurt.
• Add peanuts to nonfat frozen yogurt.
• Use fat-free salad dressing and add nuts to your salads.
• Use nuts to replace croutons in salads or soups.
• Bring pasta to life by sprinkling it with chopped nuts.
• Remember that slivered almonds do wonders with everything from chicken to desserts.
• Add nuts to bread, pancakes, waffles, or muffins.
• Mix nuts into lite cream cheese for a delicious spread.
• Add nuts to popcorn for a tasty snack.
• Add great flavor to steamed veggies with a handful of nuts.
• Toast nuts to enhance the flavor. Bake for 5-10 minutes in a 350-degree oven