The Health Benefits Of Nuts
The Health Benefits Of Nuts
So many people fear nuts, not of allergies but of the idea that they are high in fat and should avoid nuts except in particular circumstances.
But one of the things people don’t think of is that these are,
a plant-based food,
a source of protein,
a source of fiber,
a source of healthy fats,
a source of vitamin E, an antioxidant vitamin.
The next question people ask me is which nut should I choose?
This one is a little tougher because research shows that there are a lot of benefits to all types of nuts. So I jokingly say if you’re from Georgia, it’ll be peanuts; if you’re from California, it’ll be walnuts or almonds; if you’re from Hawaii, it’ll be macadamia nuts, and if you’re from New Mexico, it’ll be pecans and pistachio nuts.
What I love about nuts is that they are portable snacks. So when I have snack suggestions, one item always comes up is nuts – alone, mixed nuts, trail mix, and even nut butter.
Heart Healthy Claim
Nuts are heart healthy – with nine nuts currently allowed to have the following qualified health claim:
“Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts [, such as name of specific nut,] as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. [See nutrition information for fat content.]”
Some people may be skeptical of this claim because of the inclusion that evidence suggests but does not prove. This wording is because many factors contribute to the risk of heart disease, and we cannot say that nuts will save you from heart disease even if you smoke a pack a day and do any exercise. People can take what they want from information, so it needs to be qualified.
Allergens
There are concerns about allergies to peanuts and tree nuts. The most common allergen is tree nut allergy, and almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachio, and walnuts are the top tree nut allergens.
In the past, tree nuts were a classification for all the nuts grown on trees (all but the peanuts). It turns out this may not be true. Many people with an allergy to one nut do not automatically mean they are allergic to all of them. People are likely to have an allergy to more than one, but not necessarily all nuts.
Health Benefits
The thing is, all the nuts have health benefits.
As much as I would love to pick one as the best, I can’t, so here is a rundown of the various nuts’ calorie, protein, fiber, and fat content.
And to make note that one serving of nuts is about 1/4 cup or 1 ounce.
How many nuts or kernels will vary, but generally, that is about one handful or the amount you can fit into the palm of your hand.
One serving of almonds is about 23 whole almonds.
That one ounce is about 170 calories, more than 6 grams of protein, 3.5 grams of fiber, and 15 grams of fat, primarily healthy fat.
The latest research on almonds includes how they can potentially benefit our skin.
While almond milk is popular, as I have stated before, it is not nutritionally equal to cow’s milk or soy milk, and it does not even come close to the benefit of whole almonds.
Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts are one of those nuts that people either love or hate. They will pick them out in a mixed nuts medley, avoiding them or taking them all.
And if you’ve ever had them whole, you know they can be challenging to get out of their shell.
People don’t hear of Brazil nuts as much as the others, but they indeed count and have benefits.
One serving is about six nuts.
That one ounce is 185 calories, 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and nearly 19 grams of fat, with over 75% of that being healthy unsaturated fat.
But these nuts are also a great source of selenium, one of our essential minerals.
So love or hate them, they’re still good for you, but if you don’t like them, you don’t need to eat them.
Cashews
With cashews, one ounce is about 18 nuts.
One ounce is 160 calories, 5 grams of protein, just under 1 gram of fiber, and about 12 grams of fat which is once again primarily healthy.
Most people will never encounter cashew in its complete form. However, if you haven’t seen one, I encourage you to do an image search and see what they look like.
Like Brazil nuts, most people either love them or hate them. However, I find that they are a little bit sweet when you chew them unsalted. This sweetness may be why people use them when making vegan alternatives to baked goods like cheesecake or Key Lime Pie.
Hazelnuts (aka Filberts)
Many people aren’t familiar with hazelnuts outside their accompaniment with chocolate in Nutella or other candies. These are also called filberts.
One ounce of hazelnuts is about 18 nuts.
That is 180 calories, 4 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, about 18 grams of fat, and primarily healthy fats.
There’s nothing wrong with hazelnuts except when we add a lot of sugar and unhealthy fats (Nutella); the health benefits are out the window.
Macadamias
Macadamias are traditionally not considered one of the healthier nuts, but they are now part of the qualified health claim as of 2017.
One ounce is 12 kernels or 12 nuts.
That one ounce has 200 calories, with 2 grams of protein, just over 2 grams of fiber, and almost 22 grams of fat. Traditionally people thought of macadamia nuts as having a higher saturated fat content. However, most of the fat found in macadamia nuts is indeed still the healthier fats, so enjoy.
Peanuts
Some people will argue that peanuts aren’t a nut; they’re a legume. However, they do fall into both categories.
And it’s no secret that this is my favorite nut butter. Peanut butter is, in my opinion, a perfect food.
The nutrient profile of peanuts is 165 calories per ounce, just under 7 grams of protein, just over 2 grams of fiber, and 14 grams of fat, primarily healthy fat.
Pecans have about 200 calories per ounce, just under 3 grams of protein, just under 3 grams of fiber, and about 21 grams of fat, and no surprise, it is primarily healthy fats.
I find that most people don’t understand or don’t think about pecans outside of the holidays and pecan pie – is tragic.
Pecans are great snacks at any time of year and don’t need to come with a lot of sugar. My favorite is to chop them and add them to salads. And growing up, my mom’s favorite ice cream flavor was butter pecan (it’s good).
Pine Nuts (aka piñon)
Pine nuts, also known as piñon in Spanish, are a nut many people often forget.
One ounce of pine nuts is about 167 kernels. This amount shows how tiny these nuts are.
That one ounce is about 190 calories, 4 grams of protein, 1 gram of fiber, and nearly 20 grams of fat. And still a healthy fat.
Where I live, most people snack on these like sunflower seeds. We see vendors on the side of the road selling them or people picking them by placing a tarp underneath the pine tree and shaking the tree until the pine nuts fall off.
I find they’re better roasted. And roasting nuts (of all types) doesn’t change the nutritional value much despite some people insisting that raw is better.
Pistachios market themselves as the healthiest nut. Why do they say this? Maybe because one ounce is 49 nuts with 6 grams of protein, nearly 3 grams of fiber, and 13 grams of fat. This nutrient profile could be why they list themselves as the healthiest nut; they tend to be higher in protein, have a little bit more fiber, and are lower in fat.
Growing up, they came dyed red, which my mom never would purchase, so I always knew they were white shells with green insides.
When it comes to walnuts, one ounce is about 14 halves. Most of us get English walnuts, not black walnuts. I wasn’t sure if I was getting English or black walnuts, but my nutrition professor told me I would know if I was getting black walnuts because they are black.
One ounce of walnuts has about 185 calories, 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and just over 18 grams of fat. Again most of that is unsaturated or healthy fats.
Walnuts are one of a few plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids. That makes walnuts unique in their fat profile.
That’s the summary of the various nuts and their nutrient profile.
I always tell people to choose what they love rather than focusing on what is the healthiest nut.
Some people want more bang for their buck, as in more nuts per ounce, but in the end, it will always be the same amount of nuts: one ounce.
The psychology might suggest that we’re getting more if we have pistachios, peanuts, or pinon when it’s still just one ounce.
How you can make this healthier is to choose unsalted versions though lightly salted is also just fine.
Nutrition information was obtained from CalorieKing.com on July 31, 2022.
