Written By Miranda Regalado
When people talk about nutritious snacks, nuts are high up on that list. You can enjoy them whether you are following a keto diet, are vegan, or simply enjoy their taste, like many of us do. The good news is that they’re a source of healthy fats and omega acids, which help you feel fuller for a longer time.
A handful of nuts will keep you going throughout the day. In one ounce, we can find 5g of protein, 3g of fiber, Vitamin E, magnesium, manganese, copper, selenium, and more. Even though we can enjoy an array of nuts, not all of them offer the same amount of benefits. For instance, a study of 13 people showed that eating walnuts or almonds significantly increased polyphenol (antioxidants) levels, going as far as to indicate that walnuts are superior to consuming fish when it comes to antioxidant benefits. Another study indicated that eating whole pecans reduced bad cholesterol by 26-33% within 8 hours after intake.
Even though nuts contain high amounts of calories, they are frequently included in weight loss diets. Almonds are the most common option, but other studies suggest that pistachios are a great option as well. How does it work? It turns out that from the 160-170 calories in a serving of an ounce, only about 120 are absorbed by your body. More recent studies showed that the absorption of calories for walnuts is 21% lower than originally thought. Even so, when sourcing your nuts, and especially if you include them in your diet with the purpose of losing weight, they should be all-natural and not salted or sweetened, as this could have the opposite effect.
The fiber in nuts is also another great benefit because it helps you have better digestion while acting as prebiotics and feeding your healthy gut bacteria, which then ferments this fiber to create short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that in return help you lower the risk of diabetes and obesity, and reduce the amount of carbs your body absorbs. A daily intake of 36g of fiber could mean 130 fewer calories absorbed. And coming back to the popularity of almonds, these have a higher concentration of fiber.
The bottom line is including nuts in your diet is very easy because we can find them nearly everywhere. They are convenient to bring with you to eat on the go, they add crunchiness to your salads and many more dishes, and they have a long shelf life. So, what are you waiting for? Why not have these NUTritious snacks?