Nut Nutrition

Weight Control

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health found three times as many people trying to lose weight were able to stick to a Mediterranean-style moderate-fat weight loss diet that included nuts, peanuts and peanut butter versus the traditionally recommended low-fat diet. (International Journal of Obesity

As long as you control total calories, eating a handful of nuts daily may help prevent weight gain and possibly promote weight loss. The fat, protein and fiber in nuts help you feel full longer, so you may eat less during the day. By helping induce a feeling of satiety, nuts may help people feel less deprived and not like they're "dieting." Just limit your portion to a healthy handful.

Diabetes

Women in a Harvard School of Public Health study who reported eating 5 or more 1 ounce servings of nuts/peanuts per week reduced their risk of Type 2 diabetes by almost 30 percent compared to those who rarely or never ate nuts. Women in the study who ate five tablespoons of peanut butter each week reduced their risk for Type 2 diabetes almost 20 percent. (Journal of the American Medical Association

Nut Nutrition

Some nutrients associated with nuts include magnesium, manganese, protein, fiber, zinc and phosphorus.

A sampling of nuts in the news for their contribution to specific nutrients include:

  • Walnuts. One ounce of walnuts (about 14 shelled walnut halves) is all that is needed to meet the dietary recommendation of the Food Nutrition Board of the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine for omega-3 fatty acids.

  • Almonds. One ounce of almonds (about 20 to 24 shelled whole almonds) provides 35 percent of your daily value for vitamin E. Vitamin E may help promote healthy aging. A study reported in the Journal of the American Association suggests a diet rich in foods containing vitamin E may help protect some people against Alzheimer's disease. The study also found vitamin E in the form of supplements was not associated with a reduction in the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

  • Peanuts. Though often discussed with nuts, peanuts are a legume along with dry beans, peas and lentils. One ounce of roasted peanuts provides about 10 percent of the daily value of folate, a B vitamin recommended to help reduce the incidence of birth defects and lower the risk of heart disease. Peanuts also are an excellent source of niacin, providing about 20 percent of the daily value.

As a group, nuts also are important for what they DON'T offer:

  • Cholesterol. Nuts are cholesterol-free.
  • Sodium. Unless salt is added to nuts, they naturually contain, at most, just a trace of sodium.

A Handful of Nuts

If you're nuts about nuts and want to assure getting your "handful," here is some additional information on measuring amounts. REMEMBER: The FDA recommendation suggests up to 1.5 ounces of nuts daily or one and a half times a "handful."

  • A handful equals about 1-ounce. This serving size corresponds to the the serving size listed on the "Nutrition Facts" panel on food labels. The Nutrition Facts label will also tell you how many 1-ounce servings there are per package.

  • On average, a 1.5 ounce serving is equivalent to about 1/3 cup of nuts according to Maureen Ternus, registered dietitian and nutrition coordinator for the International Tree Nut Council's Nutrition Research & Education Foundation (INC NREF).

  • The following table gives the approximate number of nuts per ounce and an overview of calories, protein and fat. For more information about additional nutrients and portion sizes, check these materials from INC NREF:

Nutrients in 1 Ounce (28 grams) of Shelled
Tree Nuts and Peanuts (1)
Nut
Nuts
per 1 oz./
28 grams
Calories
Protein
Fat (2)
Total
Sat
(3)

Mono
(4)

Poly
(5)
Almonds 20 - 24

160

6

14

1

9

3
Brazil nuts 6 - 8

190

4

19

5

7

7
Cashews 16 - 18

160

4

13

3

8

2
Hazelnuts 18 - 20

180

4

17

1.5

13

2
Macadamias 10 - 12

200

2

22

3

17

0.5
Peanuts (6) 28

170

7

14

2

7

4
Pecans 18 - 20
halves

200

3

20

2

12

6
Pine nuts
(pignolias) 		150 -
157

160

7

14

2

5

6
Pistachios 45 - 47

160

6

13

1.5

7

4
Walnuts 14 halves

190

4

18

1.5

2.5

13

Source: Adapted from the International Tree Nut Council Research and Education Foundation publications, Nutrients in 1 Ounce of Tree Nuts and Peanutswww.nuthealth.org/nutrition/nutrient1oz.html> and Nutrition in Every Handful, August 2002, <www.nuthealth.org/inside.pdf>.

  1. All of the nuts are unsalted; almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts and walnuts are unroasted; cashews, macadamias, peanuts and pistachios are dry roasted.
  2. Figures for fat are rounded to the nearest whole or half number so the various types of fat may vary slightly from the amount of "total fat."
  3. Sat = saturated fat
  4. Mono = monounsaturated fat
  5. Poly = polyunsaturated fat
  6. Technically, peanuts aren't nuts but rather legumes, like dry beans, peas and lentils.

Feel Like a Nut?

It's easy to nibble on nuts. Here are three quick ideas plus links to lots more. Store shelled or unshelled nuts in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 6 months or for a year in your freezer for best quality, advises INC NREF.

1. It's in the Bag!

You don't have to fire up the stove or get out your cookbook to enjoy nuts. Your handful of nuts may be enjoyed -- simply -- out of hand.

Divide a container of nuts into small snack bags for easy snacking at home, office or on the road, advises Ternus, INC NREF. Simply count, measure a third cup, weigh 1 to 1.5 ounces of nuts on a kitchen scale or grab a handful and store in each snack bag. Keep in the refrigerator until you're ready to enjoy! A handful of nuts may help you resist that gooey sweet roll in the breakroom at work.

2. Just a Sprinkle

Sprinkle nuts into these foods:
  • Salads
  • Yogurt
  • Cereal
  • Pasta
  • Cooked vegetables
  • Muffins and pancakes (toss a handful or two into your batter)

3. Toasting Nuts in Your Microwave

For added richness of flavor, try this quick (takes about 5 minutes!) recipe for microwave-toasted nuts.

Here's a quick and cool way (with minimal cleanup) to toast nuts, based on information from Linda Gossett, MPA, CFCS, Extension Educator - EFNEP, University of Idaho.

This method works well for amounts ranging from a tablespoon to 1/2 cup. With larger amounts, some are likely to turn dark quicker than others. The time will vary depending on the size, type and temperature of the nuts/seeds, and also may be influenced by the type of microwave.

  1. Spread from a tablespoon to 1/2 cup nuts evenly in a single layer in a flat, microwave-safe dish, such as a 9-inch microwave-safe pie plate.

  2. Add a small amount of soft butter/margarine or of oil to the nuts. Use about 1/2 teaspoon fat per 1/2 cup of nuts; use proportionally less for smaller amounts of nuts/seeds. Stir the nuts/seeds to thinly coat with the fat. NOTE: This small amount of fat helps with browning, speeds up the toasting process and only adds about 20 calories per 1/2 cup of nuts.

  3. Microwave on high for 1 minute.

  4. Stir and microwave for another minute.

  5. Check to see how the toasting is proceeding. Add more microwave cooking time one minute at a time, because nuts and seeds can burn quickly. Stir after each addition of time.

    Small amounts of thin nuts (for example, sliced almonds) could be finished at 2 minutes. Larger amounts of nuts, such as slivered or whole almonds, walnuts or pecans will take an additional minute or two more microwaving to become lightly browned and smell fragrant.

  6. Store any extra toasted nuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks or freeze them in an airtight freezer container for 1 to 3 months.

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